Agenda item

To provide Committee with a review of the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2017-2022 and a pre-consultation draft of the Council’s proposed Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028.

Recommendation:

That the Policy and Resources Committee approve the proposed Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028 for progression to public consultation.

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Housing Manager reviewing the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2017-2022.

The report included a pre-consultation draft of the Council’s proposed Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

Jason Hagland, Strategic Housing Manager, presented the report.

In the subsequent discussion, the following points arose.

a)    Regarding the number of Afghan refugees in Three Rivers District Council, it was noted that there were two households in Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) area. One of the families was in Croxley Green and has been accommodated with funding from the Home Office under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).

A second Afghan family had, of their own volition, vacated the hotel accommodation that has been provided and has subsequently been housed by the Council with retrospective Home Office funding.

b)    It was noted that in the section “Local Population within the Country” on Page 5 of the Housing, Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028, the figure of 36,857 in two of the three pie charts on that page were incorrect and would be corrected before the document was sent out for consultation.

c)    Regarding the consultation on the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028, officers would endeavour not to carry out the consultation over the Christmas period.

d)    Apart from one reference in the Index to the graph: Reasons for Homelessness – Accepted Duty, on page 10 of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028, there was no other reference to ongoing housing and homelessness issues that might affect veterans and their families. It was proposed that these issues be referred to in the document within the context of the Council’s Housing Allocation scheme and the relevant provision i.e. lack of need for local connection.

The Chair noted that the Council was a signed-up Member of the Armed Forces Covenant[1] (“the Covenant”) and the Council ensured that its policies aligned with the Covenant.

Mr Hagland confirmed that the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy was in line with the guidance from the Armed Forces Covenant regarding the Council’s duty to ex-Armed Forces Members and their families. That said, should anyone wish to raise any issues or concerns in relation to the Council’s housing policy and how it affected former members of the Armed Forces and their families, he would encourage them to do so by way of the planned consultation on the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028.

e)    Regarding the technical nature of some of the terminology used in the consultation document, including references to LSOAs (Lower Super Output Areas), it was proposed that it would be best to avoid technical terms in a consultation document.

The Chair noted that it was the aim of the Council to produce documents that were in plain English. Mr Hagland stated that he would review the terminology used in the consultation document and would liaise with the Council’s Communications Team to ensure that the document met the requirements of plain English.

As there were no more questions, the Chair proposed that the Committee approve the recommendations as set out in the report.

RESOLVED: To –

1.    Approve, subject to ensuring that the document complied with the requirements of plain English, the proposed Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028; and

2.    That officers proceed with publishing the document for the purposes of public consultation.