Decision details

Members were informed that the Homelessness Strategy was on the Forward Plan. Assurance had been given by the Head of Housing that relevant cross-cutting issues such as mental health and substance abuse were incorporated into current work as the Strategy was developed. The new Strategy needed to incorporate Government legislation, coming into force in April 2018, extending the range of people who would be supported through statutory duties to be found appropriate accommodation. Currently the duty applied to families but was being extended to single people which would put pressure on resources. The Strategy had been developed through consulting key stakeholders and would go through a public consultation exercise before being considered for approval by the Executive in April 2018.

It had been proposed that the Committee would be able to influence work going forward through reviewing the Action Plan at its May 2018 meeting, Members were also informed that Homelessness technically came within the remit of the Tourism, Economy and Resources Committee but had been ‘inherited’ by Adult Social Care and Health through previous consideration.

The Committee agreed that the Tourism, Economy and Resources Committee should be requested to consider the Homelessness Action Plan or the Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee would consider the item at its May 2018 meeting.