1 DRAFT HOMELESSNESS AND ROUGH SLEEPING STRATEGY 2019 – 2024– The Director: Operations submitted a report seeking approval to consult on the Draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019 – 2024 and publish the final document following consultation.

The Homelessness Act 2002 placed a duty on Local Authorities to develop and publish a Homelessness Strategy (the maximum period for such a strategy is five years).

A homelessness strategy had the following purposes;

• To prevent homelessness
• To secure adequate accommodation for those who are or may become homeless
• To ensure there was adequate support available for those who were or may become homeless; or had been homeless and now needed support to prevent that happening again.

The Homelessness Strategy sought to deliver high quality services across an area to those who were genuinely homeless or threatened with homelessness regardless of whether they were owed a statutory duty or not. It had been developed and delivered in partnership across a range of statutory and voluntary partners, focusing particularly on early intervention and prevention.

The principles that sit at the centre of the strategy reflected the council outcomes of Safe, Well, Prosperous and Connected. It also reflected the values and those of our partners, to ensure that everyone had a safe home to live in, where they felt safe, were safe and could remain living independently for as long as possible.

Linked to the strategy would be a robust action plan with short, medium and longer term outcomes, which identified the respective responsibility for delivery across both the council and its partners.

Resolved - (a) That the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019 - 2024 be approved for consultation, and a copy be published on the council’s website; (b) that the Director of Operations be authorised to approve the final Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019 - 2024 following consultation, and (c) that the Cabinet Member also approve the foreword for inclusion within the published strategy.