Issue - meetings

Jill Jones, Housing Solutions Manager, to present

Sandra Tolley, Head of Housing Options, and Jill Jones, Homelessness Manager, gave a powerpoint presentation on Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeper Strategy 2019-22.

The presentation included:-

-          The vision

-          National context – The Homelessness Reduction Act

-          The local picture – the demand and funding

-          The 6 aims of the Strategy:-

To support people with complex needs

To prevent homelessness and offer rapid housing solutions to get people in urgent need rehoused quicker

To increase support for young people to prevent homelessness

To end rough sleeping and begging

To improve access to tenancy support, employment and health support services

To ensure there is sufficient decent emergency accommodation

-          Action plan to address the gaps

-          Housing First

-          Analysis of temporary accommodation

-          Performance framework/trends

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

·           Housing had a good relationship with certain parts of the Hospital’s Discharge Team.  Some people discharged from A&E and/or the Mental Health Unit at Swallownest Court may be in need of temporary accommodation.  The Service would be providing an Outreach Service at Swallownest Court

·           Rotherham had seen an increase in the number of people with a disability rough sleeping over the past 12 months.  That could be someone who was in temporary accommodation because it took longer to provide the appropriate accommodation

·           Housing OT was part of the Housing Team so an applicant would have an assessment. However, they may have to spend more time in temporary accommodation until suitable accommodation was found.  They may be unable to return to their previous accommodation due to their illness

·           They would still be accepted under the Homeless Duty because their home was no longer suitable for them

·           Step Up and Step Down was where people discharged from hospital and did not have a suitable home to go to and went into temporary accommodation as an interim measure

·           The need to ensure everyone was aware and understood the pathways and a report back to the Board on what/where the challenges were in the system as experienced by different parties

Resolved:-  That the report be noted.