Issue - meetings

Report No:   CAB/WS/19/035

Portfolio Holder: Cllr Sara Mildmay-White   Lead Officer: Davina Howes

RESOLVED:

That:

(1)     the revised West Suffolk Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2018-2023 (Appendix 1 to Report No: CAB/WS/19/035), be approved;

(2)     the performance of the Housing Options and Homelessness Team in the evidence base (Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/035), be noted;

(3)     progress made against the Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy delivery plan (Appendix B to Report No: CAB/WS/19/035), be noted; and

(4)     the new West Suffolk Temporary Accommodation Procurement and Placement Policy (Appendix C to Report No: CAB/WS/19/035), be approved.

The Cabinet considered this report, which sought approval for a revised Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2018-2023.

A revised Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy had been produced, as attached as Appendix 1 to the report, in response to new duties and requirements being placed on local authorities. Whilst the Council’s previously adopted Homelessness Reduction Strategy (approved in June 2018) included actions to reduce rough sleeping, the document had been updated to reflect the new duty being placed on local authorities to adopt a rough sleeping strategy. This was considered prudent to reflect the Council’s commitment to tackling rough sleeping in the Strategy agreed in 2018.

In addition, local authorities now had a duty to adopt a Temporary Accommodation Procurement Policy, which requested that local authorities formally stated that they should be looking in advance at their temporary accommodation needs, which West Suffolk was already doing within non-adopted documentation. West Suffolk also had in place an existing Temporary Accommodation Allocations Policy that set out how the Council would place households in temporary accommodation. It was therefore considered appropriate to take both of these policies and create one Temporary Accommodation Procurement and Placement Policy, as attached as Appendix C.

Councillor Sara Mildmay-White, Portfolio Holder for Housing, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including the fact that homelessness and rough sleeping were two very separate issues that needed to be addressed in different ways. This was a continuous challenge for West Suffolk Council’s teams and, together with other Cabinet Members, she expressed her gratitude towards the officers and staff involved.  Councillor Mildmay-White also reported that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the draft Strategy and had not recommended any amendments.

In response to a question, the Cabinet was informed that the ‘No Second Night Out’ initiative was being developed with partners to mitigate homelessness and rough sleeping. This was a long term aim and ambition of the Council and its partners to focus their efforts on trying to help individuals; however many had complex needs where they did not feel able to accept accommodation provided which together with other factors, made this initiative extremely challenging to achieve.  

The Cabinet acknowledged and supported the approaches set out in the revised Strategy.    

RESOLVED:

That:

(1)     the revised West Suffolk Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2018-2023 (Appendix 1 to Report No: CAB/WS/19/035), be approved;

(2)     the performance of the Housing Options and Homelessness Team in the evidence base (Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/035), be noted;

(3)     progress made against the Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy delivery plan (Appendix B to Report No: CAB/WS/19/035), be noted; and

(4)     the new West Suffolk Temporary Accommodation Procurement and Placement Policy (Appendix C to Report No: CAB/WS/19/035), be approved.