Issue - meetings

To consider and comment on a Reconnections Policy for the District Council.

Approved the content of the draft Reconnections Policy for Homelessness People with no local connection.

By way of a report by the Head of Customer Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet was invited to consider the content of a Reconnections Policy which aimed to assist with the prevention of homelessness by reconnecting homeless people to an area where they have a local connection. The Policy had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Social Well-Being) whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

Having recognised that homeless people at risk of rough sleeping were more likely to have a positive outcome to their situation in an area where they have support networks through family and friends, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

that the content of the Reconnections Policy for Homelessness People with No Local Connection be approved.

To receive a report from the Head of Customer Services on the Reconnections Policy for homeless people with no local connection.

20 Minutes.

With the aid of a report by the Head of Customer Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel gave consideration to a draft policy which aimed to assist with the prevention of homelessness by reconnecting homeless people with the area with which they had a local connection. By way of background, Mr J Collen, the Council’s Housing Needs and Resource Manager, explained that all housing authorities within the Cambridge sub-region were now adopting similar policies with a view to preventing rough sleeping within their areas. It was further explained that the policy formalised practices already employed by the Council through its homeless prevention work. Members were advised that a recent audit had established that there were between 0 and 3 rough sleepers within Huntingdonshire at any one time.

A Member asked whether individuals could be reconnected against their interests. In response, Mr Collen stated that alternative mechanisms were in place for certain cases, for example those who had been subjected to domestic violence, but that the justification for being treated this way was verified with the appropriate authorities.

RESOLVED

  that the Cabinet be recommended to endorse the content of the Reconnections Policy for Homeless People with No Local Connection as appended to the report now submitted.