Agenda item

Homelessness continues to be one of the most significant challenges facing Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Demand for assistance has risen sharply, driven by rising private rents, household income pressures and increasing complexity of need. In 2024 to 2025, BCP Council determined that 2,767 households needed formal intervention because of their homelessness or threat of homelessness, representing a doubling of demand compared with 2020. Rough sleeping reached a peak of 193 individual people seen over the month of July 2024 before beginning to reduce through targeted outreach, expanded supported housing and strengthened multi agency work.

Alongside these sustained pressures, recent performance shows clear evidence of improvement in key areas. Strengthened prevention activity has increased early intervention, with over 1,100 households supported to avoid homelessness during the past year. Targeted action has also reduced overall reliance on temporary accommodation, with a reduction of around 10% in recent months. Rough sleeping, which peaked in mid‑2024, has declined following expanded supported accommodation, enhanced outreach and improved multi‑agency coordination, with the most significant reductions seen among people experiencing long‑term rough sleeping. In addition, the Council has sustained a position of no families placed in bed and breakfast accommodation for longer than six weeks. These improvements provide a strong foundation for the ambitions set out in the new Strategy, while recognising that demand and system pressures remain high.

The proposed Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2031 sets out a long term, evidence based and partnership led plan for reducing homelessness and rough sleeping across the area. The Strategy is fully aligned with national Government priorities on homelessness and rough sleeping, including the emphasis on earlier prevention across public services, national commitments to reduce families and children in Bed & Breakfast, rough sleeping and the monitoring of performance within the Local Outcomes Framework.

Developed through comprehensive review, extensive engagement, consultation and strong lived experience input, the Strategy presents a shared ambition to make homelessness in BCP rare, brief and unrepeated. It reflects updated statutory data, changing system pressures and learning from recent years.

Approval of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031 will provide a clear strategic framework for the Council and its partners to prevent homelessness earlier, reduce reliance on unsuitable temporary accommodation, improve multi-agency practice and support people to secure and sustain safe and stable homes. A Delivery Plan, co-produced with partners and people with lived experience, will support implementation and provide ongoing oversight of progress and impact.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a)           approved the adoption of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031;

(b)           noted the key findings from the homelessness review, engagement and public consultation undertaken to inform the Strategy;

(c)           delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Wellbeing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulation, to approve the final design, formatting and publication of the Strategy and associated materials; and

(d)           noted that delivery of the Strategy will be supported by a co-produced Delivery Plan, with progress overseen through established governance arrangements including the Homelessness Delivery Board.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Housing and Regulatory Services

Local authorities are required to publish a Homelessness Strategy at least every five years to ensure a consistent and coordinated response to homelessness. With the current Strategy concluding in 2026, it is imperative to adopt a refreshed, evidence-led approach that addresses the marked increase in homelessness, the growing complexity of needs among presenting households, and the persistent challenges surrounding housing affordability.

Strengthening the Strategy at this juncture will enable the Council to respond proactively to emerging trends, leverage insights from recent engagement and consultation, and ensure that our interventions remain relevant and effective. Furthermore, this approach underscores our commitment to co-production with those who have lived experience, fostering stronger partnerships, and enhancing governance to deliver meaningful, sustainable change for our communities.

The Strategy also provides a clear framework for managing risk, aligning partner activity and demonstrating assurance to Members and senior officers over delivery and impact.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulatory Services presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'D' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that homelessness continues to be one of the most significant challenges facing Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and that demand for assistance had risen sharply, driven by rising private rents, household income pressures and increasing complexity of need.

Further to this Cabinet was informed that in 2024 to 2025, BCP Council determined that 2,767 households needed formal intervention because of their homelessness or threat of homelessness, representing a doubling of demand compared with 2020, and that rough sleeping reached a peak of 193 individual people seen over the month of July 2024 before beginning to reduce through targeted outreach, expanded supported housing and strengthened multi agency work.

Cabinet was advised that alongside these sustained pressures, recent performance had shown clear evidence of improvement in key areas and that strengthened prevention activity had increased early intervention, with over 1,100 households supported to avoid homelessness during the past year.

Cabinet was informed that targeted action had also reduced overall reliance on temporary accommodation, with a reduction of around 10% in recent months, and that rough sleeping, which peaked in mid‑2024, had declined following expanded supported accommodation, enhanced outreach and improved multi‑agency coordination, with the most significant reductions seen among people experiencing long‑term rough sleeping.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that in addition, the Council has sustained a position of no families placed in bed and breakfast accommodation for longer than six weeks, and that these improvements provided a strong foundation for the ambitions set out in the new Strategy, while recognising that demand and system pressures remain high.

Cabinet was advised that the proposed Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2031 sets out a long term, evidence based and partnership led plan for reducing homelessness and rough sleeping across the area, and that the Strategy is fully aligned with national Government priorities on homelessness and rough sleeping, including the emphasis on earlier prevention across public services, national commitments to reduce families and children in Bed & Breakfast, rough sleeping and the monitoring of performance within the Local Outcomes Framework.

Further to this Cabinet was informed that the Strategy had been developed through comprehensive review, extensive engagement, consultation and strong lived experience input, the Strategy presents a shared ambition to make homelessness in BCP rare, brief and unrepeated, and that it reflected updated statutory data, changing system pressures and learning from recent years.

Cabinet was advised that approval of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031 would provide a clear strategic framework for the Council and its partners to prevent homelessness earlier, reduce reliance on unsuitable temporary accommodation, improve multi-agency practice and support people to secure and sustain safe and stable homes.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that a Delivery Plan, co-produced with partners and people with lived experience, would support implementation and provide ongoing oversight of progress and impact.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

I.                  approved the adoption of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031;

II.                  noted the key findings from the homelessness review, engagement and public consultation undertaken to inform the Strategy;

III.                  delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Wellbeing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulation, to approve the final design, formatting and publication of the Strategy and associated materials; and

IV.                  noted that delivery of the Strategy will be supported by a co-produced Delivery Plan, with progress overseen through established governance arrangements including the Homelessness Delivery Board.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Housing and Regulatory Services

Local authorities are required to publish a Homelessness Strategy at least every five years to ensure a consistent and coordinated response to homelessness. With the current Strategy concluding in 2026, it is imperative to adopt a refreshed, evidence-led approach that addresses the marked increase in homelessness, the growing complexity of needs among presenting households, and the persistent challenges surrounding housing affordability.

Strengthening the Strategy at this juncture will enable the Council to respond proactively to emerging trends, leverage insights from recent engagement and consultation, and ensure that our interventions remain relevant and effective. Furthermore, this approach underscores our commitment to co-production with those who have lived experience, fostering stronger partnerships, and enhancing governance to deliver meaningful, sustainable change for our communities.

The Strategy also provides a clear framework for managing risk, aligning partner activity and demonstrating assurance to Members and senior officers over delivery and impact.

Cabinet was advised that Environment and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered this item at their meeting on 25 February 2026, and that recommendations supporting the strategy had been presented to the Cabinet at the meeting on 26 March 2027.