To consider the following housing related reports scheduled for Cabinet consideration on 13 November 2019:
• Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan
The O&S Board is asked to scrutinise the reports and make recommendations to Cabinet as appropriate.
Cabinet member invited to attend for this item: Councillor Keiron Wilson, Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning.
The Cabinet report will be published on Tuesday 5 November 2019 and available to view at the following link: https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=285&MId=3723&Ver=4
Minutes:
Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan - The Chairman invited the Portfolio Holder for Housing to introduce the report to the Board, a copy of which had been circulated and which appears as Appendix 'A' to the cabinet minutes of 13 November in the Minute Book. The Portfolio Holder outlined the aims of the report and recommendations.
The Chairman commented that this was an important issue and welcomed the report. The Board asked questions of the Portfolio Holder including:
· Whether children and young people were placed into unsuitable accommodation including bed and breakfast placements and what safeguards the Council had in place to ensure that properties owned privately were of a suitable standard. The Portfolio Holder advised that there was a list of authorised agencies to provide temporary accommodation. It was noted that whilst these ‘met’ the required standards there was an aspiration to improve standards for this type of accommodation over time. A Councillor referred to when residents were directed to private landlords by the Council and properties not being suitable. The Portfolio Holder undertook to take any details of particular cases and follow up on these.
· A Councillor commented that some of the action points and dates didn’t line up correctly and asked about the Christchurch strategy being up to date. It was noted that the actions would be amended and that the current model for Christchurch was up to date and the new strategy was already being worked up and the Council was keen to progress this with input and support from different areas.
· A councillor asked about the Council’s policy on tenants being threatened with eviction in particular those who had already received an eviction notice and the support they received before bailiffs arrived at the property. The Director of Housing advised that this was an issue for every local authority and on occasion people would be given advise that they had a legal right to remain in the property whilst the eviction process took place. The Action Plan set out everything the Council was trying to do, depending upon the circumstances of the case the Council may try to negotiate with landlords, offer rehousing, help to explore support from family. The Council would try to be creative in providing re-housing solutions.
· In response to a question about the BCP Homelessness Partnership and whether it was a public forum the Portfolio Holder confirmed it would include members of statutory partners on the Board and would be in public.
· A Councillor commented on the programme of buying up housing to provide temporary accommodation which was bucking the national trend and asked if there was scope to expand this across the BCP Council area. The Portfolio Holder confirmed that this had been helpful in improving figures and it may be possible to expand but any actions would have to take into account the three different ways of doing things across the three preceding authorities. A councillor commented that they hope Seascape’s position in identifying homelessness solutions could continue.
· The positive action outlined in the report was identified by a Board Member. The Portfolio Holder was asked about homeless people without a connection to the local area. The Board was advised that just over 25% of rough sleepers had no local connection and there was a discussion needed at a national level but the Council would work hard to help people without local connections in various ways.
· In response to a query about the winding down of the Enforcement, Prevention, Intelligence and Communication group the Director advised that it had worked so well that co-operation between partners was now mainstream and the group was no longer needed. There would, however, be a sub-group to the main Board which would be responsible for similar activity. The Board was assured that the multi-agency response to rough sleeping would continue.
· A Councillor commented that the homelessness paperwork from BCP Council was out of line with the requirements of the armed forces covenant. It was confirmed that this would be picked up and that ex-forces were placed in the ‘silver’ band for housing.
· A Board Member questioned what residents could do when coming across someone sleeping rough with regards to the Severe Weather Emergency Protocols (SWEP). It was noted that the SWEP policies and work would begin to kick in as the weather became colder.
Cllr P Miles arrived during this item.