Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Adults, Housing and Health. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning (Deputy Leader)

Declarations of interest for this item:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approved the Draft Homelessness Strategy attached at Appendix 1 for formal consultation as set out in this report

2.    Noted that, following that consultation, officers will bring back to Cabinet a draft new Homelessness Strategy for 2025-2027 for adoption.

Reasons for decision

The Homelessness Act 2002 (“the Act”)  requires local authorities to carry out a homelessness review and formulate and publish a homelessness strategy informed by that review at least once every five years. The Draft Strategy proposed here for consultation has been developed over the course of more than a year with considerable engagement from a wide range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience of homelessness and organisations working to support them. If the draft is approved by Cabinet, the council will consult as set out in this report before developing an amended, final version of a Homelessness Strategy for adoption in December 2025.

Alternative options considered

Cabinet could decide not to adopt the Draft Strategy proposed here. This is not recommended because to do so would delay the adoption of a strategy that the Council is required by law to have in place. Further, the Council is required to take its Homelessness Strategy into account in the exercise of its functions as a local housing authority, and it requires updating for this purpose.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, and Deputy Leader of the Council introduced the report.

It was explained that the Council was proposing a homelessness strategy that had effective partnership working at its heart. The strategy aimed to protect Haringey’s wider population from the risk of homelessness, to improve our homelessness prevention services, to provide specific interventions for groups at particular risk of homelessness, and to improve accommodation options for those experiencing the emergency of homelessness.

It was stressed that addressing homelessness required structural solutions, including reformed welfare systems and better security of tenure. It was noted that there were some structural challenges that the Council would need to overcome, including the way that Temporary Accommodation was funded, which was a longstanding situation where it was uniquely ineligible for the kind of housing benefit subsidy provided to other kinds of housing. Aligning subsidy rates with current market conditions and investing in affordable housing was critical to restoring financial stability and improving outcomes for homeless households.

The Cabinet Member noted their thanks to the organisations who worked as part of the Haringey Homelessness Reduction Board to oversee the development of the proposed draft strategy, and the very many people with lived experience of homelessness who helped us understand the issues it needed to address.

In response to comments and questions from Councillor Cawley-Harrison, the following information was shared:

• It was explained that the Council was reviewing provision of modular builds on Meanwhile use sites.
  
  
• It was explained that the Council had a stretch target of acquiring 250 properties. However, it was stressed that there would be significant work in conveyancing of these acquisitions.
  
  
• It was noted that the top causes of homelessness were domestic breakdowns and domestic violence, instability of the private rented sector. It was noted that officers expected that any instability to the private rented sector from the Renters Rights Bill had been seen already, and it wasn’t expected that there would be additional issues.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approved the Draft Homelessness Strategy attached at Appendix 1 for formal consultation as set out in this report

2.    Noted that, following that consultation, officers will bring back to Cabinet a draft new Homelessness Strategy for 2025-2027 for adoption.

Reasons for decision

The Homelessness Act 2002 (“the Act”)  requires local authorities to carry out a homelessness review and formulate and publish a homelessness strategy informed by that review at least once every five years. The Draft Strategy proposed here for consultation has been developed over the course of more than a year with considerable engagement from a wide range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience of homelessness and organisations working to support them. If the draft is approved by Cabinet, the council will consult as set out in this report before developing an amended, final version of a Homelessness Strategy for adoption in December 2025.

Alternative options considered

Cabinet could decide not to adopt the Draft Strategy proposed here. This is not recommended because to do so would delay the adoption of a strategy that the Council is required by law to have in place. Further, the Council is required to take its Homelessness Strategy into account in the exercise of its functions as a local housing authority, and it requires updating for this purpose.