Agenda item

Report from the Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1.    Notes the Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeper Strategy consultation summary report.

2.    Approves the Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeper Strategy 2026-31.

3.    Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health to approve:

a)    Any minor data amendments to the Strategy prior to publication.

b)    The Action Plan, following its development, including any amendments arising from annual reviews.

Consideration was given to the report which presented the findings from the review of the Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeper Strategy 2023-2026 and sought approval for the new Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeper Strategy 2026-2031. Homelessness remained a significant challenge across the UK, with local authorities facing sustained increases in demand for support against the backdrop of rising housing costs, welfare reform, and ongoing cost of living pressures. Nationally, levels of homelessness continued to rise, with latest estimates (December 2025) reporting that 382,618 people in England were homeless, the highest figure recorded representing an 8% increase in just one year. The national pressures were reflected locally in Rotherham, where the number of people approaching the Council for homelessness assistance increased by 25.6% between 2023/24 and 2024/25, rising from 1,448 to 1,818.

Paragraph 1.11 of the report set out a summary of the key achievements from the Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy for 2023-2026. This included a 65.4% increase in successful prevention outcomes within 56 days between 2022-23 and 2024-25. Progress also continued towards the Council’s target of 1,000 new council homes by summer 2027, with 791 delivered as of 20 April 2026 and with planning underway for the next programme cycle.

In addition, the report outlined the eight-week consultation and engagement process undertaken with residents, people with lived experience, officers, and key stakeholders. Feedback from this process, alongside national policy, local evidence, and wider housing and homelessness intelligence, had informed the development of the new Strategy. The Council had statutory duties under the Homelessness Act 2002, which required local authorities to carry out a homelessness review, to formulate and publish a homelessness strategy based on that review, and to publish a new strategy at least once every five years.

The Strategy was structured around four strategic priorities and set out the Council’s approach to preventing homelessness and rough sleeping over the next five years. The four priorities were:

-       Priority 1 – Prevent homelessness through early, proactive intervention (paragraph 2.7 to 2.9 of the report.)

-       Priority 2 – Increase the supply of and access to suitable, affordable housing (paragraph 2.10 to 2.13.)

-       Priority 3 – Ensure support reaches those most in need at the right time (paragraph 2.14 to 2.17.)

-       Priority 4 – Tackle rough sleeping through prevention and rapid response (paragraph 2.18 to 2.21.)

The Strategy also highlighted the key issues affecting households experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Rotherham, detailed how the Council would work collaboratively with partners to respond to these challenges and demonstrated alignment with wider Council strategies and plans.

A cross working action plan would be developed with key partners including health, social care, community safety and the voluntary sector, to monitor progress and delivery against the Strategy over the five year period. While the Council had a statutory obligation to lead on the development and publication of the Strategy, the action plan was to be collectively owned by partners and stakeholders, reflecting that tackling homelessness was a shared responsibility across the whole system. Cabinet was asked to delegate approval of the action plan and any subsequent updates following its annual reviews to the relevant Executive Director. It was anticipated that minor data updates of the Strategy could be required prior to publication. Cabinet was therefore asked to delegate approval of any final amendments to the Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

The report was considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board who advised that the recommendations be supported. They also made two additional recommendations:

-       That the Action Plan clearly indicates any essential (“must deliver”) actions from scalable or discretionary activity, including setting out risk mitigation arrangements where funding or capacity reduces, and ensures any material departure from planned delivery be reported to the relevant scrutiny commission.

-       That specific performance measures be developed for households with multiple support needs, covering prevention successes, and repeated homelessness, and that this cohort be reported separately in monitoring reports.

Both recommendations were accepted by Cabinet.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Notes the Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeper Strategy consultation summary report.

2.    Approves the Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeper Strategy 2026 31.

3.    Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health to approve:

a)    Any minor data amendments to the Strategy prior to publication.

b)    The Action Plan, following its development, including any amendments arising from annual reviews.

4.    Agree that the Action Plan clearly indicates any essential (“must deliver”) actions from scalable or discretionary activity, including setting out risk mitigation arrangements where funding or capacity reduces, and ensures any material departure from planned delivery be reported to the relevant scrutiny commission.

5.    Agree that specific performance measures be developed for households with multiple support needs, covering prevention successes, and repeated homelessness, and that this cohort be reported separately in monitoring reports.