Issue - meetings

Exeter Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2023-27

Meeting: 07/02/2023 - Executive (Item 25)

25 Exeter Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Prevention Strategy 2023 - 2027 pdf icon PDF 597 KB

To consider the report of the Director of City Development.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Agreed:

 

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the strategic priorities for the new Homelessness Strategy and the proposed governance arrangements.

 

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

 

 

 

Minutes:

The Executive received the report requesting approval of new homelessness and rough sleeping prevention strategy 2023-2027, to note the achievements of the previous 2016-2021 strategy and the findings of the 2022 homelessness needs assessment. The Strategy, would cover a five-year period until 2027 and contained five high level priority areas, which were outlined in report presented.

 

Particular reference was made to the Strategy and priorities, which were based on evaluation feedback from various stakeholders, outcomes from the previous strategy, the findings and data from the needs analyses from 2022, stakeholder feedback and representation from partnership agencies who were involved with the Homelessness Task and Finish Group.

 

A draft of the Strategy document went out to public consultation between November and December 2022, with nearly 90% of the feedback in support of the priorities with some concerns regarding ultimate delivery. However, action plans would be co-designed with stakeholders with a completion date for the delivery plans set for the end March 2023 to be implemented from 1st April 2023.

 

Members noted that the strategy was not an Exeter City Council document per se but a wider joint working document to incorporate partners and joined-up work streams. Actions of the strategy would look to include the recommendations from the Homelessness Task and Finish Group, plans for which would be integrated into the Strategy action planning. Members further noted that there was a priority on establishing a board focussing on homelessness reduction, which would consist of a range of stakeholders and partners.

 

Councillor D. Moore, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item. She welcomed the report and enquired on the partnerships and whether the report would be submitted to the various partners for signing off? She further enquired how the strategy would relate to the Council Housing Advisory Board for matters relating to tenants and mediation on Council services.

 

During the discussion the following points were raised:-

 

·        the report was welcomed and thanks were given to the team for the work undertaken;

·        thanks were also given to the Portfolio Holder for Customer Services & Council Housing for requesting the formation of the Homelessness Task and Finish Group, during their time as the Chair of the Strategic Scrutiny Committee;

·        the Government’s short term approach to funding would make delivering an end to rough sleeping by 2024 difficult; and

·        homelessness was a challenging area with many constraints, however the Strategy was a great opportunity to bring a level of excellence to the city and working with partners would support bringing the ambitions forward.

 

The Leader commented on the volume of work undertaken between 2019-2022 with various partners and stakeholders and recognised the work they had undertaken with communities.

 

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the strategic priorities for the new Homelessness Strategy and the proposed governance arrangements.