Issue - meetings

To receive a report by the Head of Housing Services detailing the outcome of a review of the Homelessness Strategy.

Approved the contents of the draft Homelessness Strategy for consultation purposes.

The Cabinet considered a report by the Head of Housing Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking approval for the adoption of the draft Homelessness Strategy.

In so doing, Members' attention was drawn to the statutory requirement under the Homelessness Act 2002 for local authorities to carry out a review of homelessness within their areas and to formulate and publish a homelessness strategy based on the results of that review. The draft Strategy outlines the future strategic direction of homelessness prevention, which was a matter of growing concern for the Council.

Members’ attention was drawn to the conclusions reached by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Social Well-Being).  In that respect, the Cabinet shared the concerns of the Panel that Government funding for the homelessness prevention budget might not continue beyond 2010/11.

Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  that the draft Homelessness Strategy be approved for consultation purposes.

To receive a report by the Head of Housing Services detailing the outcome of a review of the Homelessness Strategy.

20 Minutes.

(Councillor A Hansard, Executive Councillor for Housing and Public Health, was in attendance for consideration of this item).

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Housing Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking the Cabinet’s endorsement of a draft Homelessness Strategy for the purposes of consultation. By way of background, Councillor A Hansard, Executive Councillor for Housing and Public Health, informed the Panel that the Homelessness Act 2002 placed a statutory duty on the Council to review the previous Strategy every five years and that the review was now due.

The Panel were advised that the Strategy outlined a future strategic direction for homelessness prevention, which was a matter of growing concern for the Council. Members noted that increased financial and resource pressures and changes by the Government to the housing benefit system, which would take effect from April 2011, would add to increasing levels of demand for housing advice and of homelessness within the District.

The Panel’s attention was drawn to the trends in homelessness experienced locally over the previous ten years. Members were advised that the reductions in homelessness that had been achieved were largely attributable to the use of a number of preventative measures, including the Court Advocacy Service, the Young Persons Mediation Service and the Rent Deposit/Rent In Advance Scheme. Members were advised that the latter had proved to be the most effective and opportunities to maximise its use were currently being explored by the Council. In response to questions by Members it was reported that the only cost to the Council associated with the Scheme arose from customer defaults on loans but that their use was limited by the debt allowance.

The Panel discussed the financial and other resources required to achieve the Strategy’s Action Plan. It was noted that Government funding for the Homelessness Prevention Budget might not continue beyond 2010/11. The Panel registered concern that funding had not been identified for a number of actions contained within the Action Plan. In response, the Head of Housing Services reported that the document had been compiled in advance of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review announcement, at a time when a number of uncertainties surrounding the Council’s budget process and efficiency programme existed. The Panel were assured that the Strategy would be updated to take into account these developments; however, the challenge to identify resources would remain.

Other matters that were discussed included the types of accommodation available, migrant workers and the factors that constrained the Council from using exception sites within the District to tackle homelessness. Having expressed their satisfaction with the content of the Strategy, the Panel

RESOLVED

(a)  that subject to the comments outlined above, the content of the draft Homelessness Strategy be endorsed for submission to the Cabinet; and

(b)  that the Cabinet be recommended to approve the draft Homelessness Strategy for wider consultation with partners, stakeholders and customers.