HOUSING AND COMMUNITY COHESION POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

10 December 2024

 

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan 2024-2029

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Housing and Community Cohesion Policy Advisory Committee

10 December 2024

Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness

By 31 January 2025

 

 

Will this be a Key Decision?

 

Yes

 

Urgency

Not Applicable

Final Decision-Maker

Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness

Lead Head of Service

John Littlemore

Lead Officer and Report Author

Hannah Gaston

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

 

Executive Summary

 

Requesting that the Executive Member for Housing and Health formally adopts The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024 - 2029 Action Plan (Appendix 1). The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy was adopted by the Executive in March 2024 and was used to inform the development of the attached Action Plan.

 

The action plan sets out in greater detail how we will achieve our four priorities 1) Prevention 2) Accommodation 3) Vulnerable People and 4) Rough Sleepers.

 

The issue is to be considered by the Housing and Communities Policy Advisory Committee before being passed to the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness.

 

 

Purpose of Report

 

That the Housing and Community Cohesion PAC recommends the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Action Plan is adopted by Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness.

 

 

 

This report asks the Housing & Community Cohesion Policy Advisory Committee to recommend: That

1.   The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan 2024-2029 be adopted by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness.



Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan 2024-2029

 

1.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

Accepting the recommendations will materially improve the Council’s ability to achieve the strategic priority Homes and Communities. We set out the reasons other choices will be less effective in section 2.

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

Cross Cutting Objectives

The report recommendations supports the achievements of the Deprivation and Social Mobility is Improved and Health Inequalities are Addressed and Reduced cross cutting objectives.

 

 

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

Risk Management

Contained within the body of this report.

 

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

Financial

The proposals set out in the recommendation are all within already approved budgetary headings and so need no new funding for implementation.

Section 151 Officer & Finance Team

Staffing

We will deliver the recommendations with our current staffing.

 

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

Legal

Acting on the recommendations is within the Council’s powers as set out at under Housing Act 1996 (as amended) and the Homeless Reduction Act 2018.

Legal Team

Information Governance

The recommendations may impact personal information the Council processes, but personal information is already collected and stored in line with GDPR requirements. 

 

The Information Governance Team have reviewed the housing teams processing of personal data affected and the associated documentation has been created accordingly, including a data protection impact assessment.

Information Governance Team

Equalities

The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment.

Equalities & Communities Officer

Public Health

 

We recognise that the recommendations will have a positive impact on population health or that of individuals.

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

Crime and Disorder

There are no implications to Crime and Disorder

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

Procurement

Not applicable.

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

Biodiversity and Climate Change

The implications of this report on biodiversity and climate change have been considered and there are no implications on biodiversity and climate change.

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

 

 

2.    INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

2.1     The Homelessness and Housing Strategy is a document that sets out the Council’s vision and intention to ensure that the Council is tackling the major homelessness and rough sleeping challenges facing the district. It supports the strategic ambition of the Council to be a “Vibrant, prosperous, urban and rural community at the heart of Kent where everyone can realise their potential”.

 

2.2     The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy contains four priorities;

 

o      Priority 1: - Homeless Prevention

 

o      Priority 2 – Providing good quality Accommodation.

 

o      Priority 3 – Supporting vulnerable people.

 

o      Priority 4 – Eradicating Rough Sleeping

 

2.3     The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024 - 2029 was formerly adopted by the Executive on 12 March 2024. The Strategy document was used to inform the development of the Action Plan. The Action Plan brings together feedback from Officers, Members and Stakeholders including members of the public. A number of consultations were conducted to achieve a full and robust vision for Maidstone Borough Council’s strategy.

 

 

3.   AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

3.1     The Committee could decide not to recommend adoption of the Action Plan. This is not recommended as this would not assist the Council to determine whether its Homelessness and Rough Strategy is having the positive impact that is contained within its vision to tackle the major Homelessness and Rough Sleeping challenges across the district.

 

3.2     The Committee may recommend that the Cabinet Member adopts the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Action Plan – with a view to implementing the actions and tackling the major challenges that face the local community across the district. This option is in the spirit of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy developed by the Council to achieve its key objective in the Strategic Plan.

 

 

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1     The preferred option is that the Committee recommends the Cabinet Member adopts the Action Plan. This will support the Council’s aspiration in the Strategic Plan to:

·         Prevent Homelessness

·         Support vulnerable people

·         Reducing rough sleeping in a sustainable way

·         Reducing the use of temporary accommodation for homeless families

·         Improving housing options through use of our statutory powers to promote good health and wellbeing

 

 

5.       RISK

5.1    The risks associated with this proposal, including the risks if the Council does not act as recommended, have been considered in line with the Council’s Risk Management Framework. We are satisfied that the risks associated are within the Council’s risk appetite and will be managed as per the Policy.

 

5.2    A failure to adopt a robust action plan for the Housing Strategy would increase the risk of the Council not meeting its strategic and statutory duties in relation to its housing and homeless functions.

 

 

6.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

6.1     Consultation on the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy commenced in Summer 2023 with feedback from the public and our stakeholders actively sought through an on-line digital survey conducted by our Consultation and Engagement Officer. Consultation was also undertaken with Council Officers to ensure the golden threads contained within the Strategy were transferred to the Action Plan.

 

 

7.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

7.1     Once the Action Plan has been formally adopted this will be on the website and regular monitoring will take place through reporting to the Cabinet Member for Housing & Health.

 

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

·         Appendix 1: Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan 2024-2029

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

·         Homelessness and rough sleeping strategy