Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director - Wellbeing and Housing

Purpose of report

To present to the Committee a new draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1     To consider and comment on the contents of the new drafted Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029 and recommend adoption by the Executive.

Resolved

(1)        That having given due consideration, the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029 be recommended for adoption by Executive.

The Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing submitted a report which presented a draft new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing introduced the draft Strategy. The Head of Housing explained that as part of the Council’s statutory duties regarding homelessness, the Council must review homelessness in the district area and produce a strategy to tackle the issue and support those affected every five years. The review highlighted the homeless pressures and trends within Cherwell and the findings informed the subsequent strategy and action plan objectives.

In response to a question regarding the funding of resettlement schemes the Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing confirmed that the Council did receive funding from the Home Office for each family that came to live in Cherwell under a recognised migration scheme and that there was also a contribution to each bed space for an asylum seeker. It was clarified that this was per bed space rather than per asylum seeker.

In response to questions regarding the level of liaison between the different agencies assisting homeless people who were facing significant challenges, the Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing advised that the Council worked with a number of providers across the County as part of the Oxfordshire Alliance. She explained that the aim was to provide bed spaces in appropriate accommodation to people who needed rehabilitation at the same time and that information was shared, where allowed, between the various agencies to avoid wherever possible, the requirement for the individual having to continuously explain their circumstances.

In response to a question regarding the national increase in the number of Section 21 notices that had been issued, and a request for the council to again write to Central Government regarding the banning of such notices, the Portfolio Holder for Housing confirmed he would discuss with the Member who raised the question outside of the meeting.

The Chairman thanked the Head of Housing and the Housing team for their hard work developing the Strategy.

It was proposed by Councillor Webb and seconded by Councillor Okeke that having given due consideration, the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029 be recommended for adoption by Executive

Resolved

(1)        That having given due consideration, the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029 be recommended for adoption by Executive.