Decision Details

That Cabinet: 

Recommend that authority be delegated to the Head of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to:

 1. Approved the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030 (Draft version), attached as Appendix A.

 2. Make any presentational or clarificatory improvements or minor non-material amendments as necessary prior to its publication, including updating any data where this becomes available in the intervening period.

 3. Conduct an annual review of progress against the strategy and action plan, which should be reported to Cabinet and ensure the quarterly key performance indicators are reported as part of ESC’s Corporate Performance Framework.

 4. The work identified through the Strategic Review of Temporary Accommodation, be supported to reduce the dependency on expensive nightly let accommodation and ensure better access to good quality TA within the ESC area through the Development of a new Temporary Accommodation Strategy.

The Homelessness Act 2002 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 require local authorities to have in place a Homelessness Strategy informed by the results of  Homelessness Review. A new Homelessness Strategy is also needed to ensure that the council is doing everything possible to prevent and respond to homelessness in the district.

The proposed strategy aligns and supports the governments’ objective to end rough sleeping. It focuses on prevention, early intervention, and sustainable accommodation pathways, which will lead to better long-term outcomes for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

By focusing on preventative measures, the strategy reduces the long-term cost of temporary accommodation and crisis intervention.

The new strategy will provide the framework for building upon the council’s success in tackling homelessness

Option 1 – Do Nothing.

 This would put the council at risk of legal challenge and would breach statutory requirements for developing and adopting a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.  This is because without a strategy in place, decisions taken that rely on the strategy could 
be open to challenge.

Option 2 – To approve the new strategy.

 By approving the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, the Council will be making a commitment to prevent homelessness and addressing housing needs of people in the district. This will support our priority under sustainable housing to ensure we can offer safe
suitable accommodation, address the needs in our communities, tackle the root causes of homelessness, promote community pride, and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping.