Agenda item

A report from the Executive Director.

The Chairman invited Cllr Richard Clewer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Heritage, Arts, Tourism, Housing, Climate Change & Military-Civilian Integration, to introduce the report.

Cllr Clewer stated that the Homelessness Act 2002 placed a statutory obligation on local authorities to undertake a review of homelessness in their area and develop and publish a homeless strategy to help prevent homelessness, based on findings of the review. This strategy had been informed by Wiltshire Council’s Homelessness Review 2018 and Homeless Health Needs Assessment.

Cllr Clewer pointed out that this would be the Council’s first Homeless Strategy since the introduction of the Homeless Reduction Act 2017 and would take into account new duties placed on the Council which represented the biggest changes in the homeless legislation in 20 years.

The report had been considered by Cabinet on 8 October 2019  

Cllr Clewer proposed, duly seconded by Cllr Philip Whitehead, that the recommendations in the report be adopted.

Group Leaders then commented on the proposals all of whom expressed their support.  Cllr Whitehead stated that this was one of the best strategies he had seen and it was encouraging to note that this was at variance with the national trend where the number of rough sleepers was regrettably increasing.

Cllr Graham Wright, as Chairman of the Homelessness Strategy Task Group, drew attention to the thorough work undertaken by this Task Group and welcomed the proposal.

During the subsequent discussion, Members expressed their support for the proposal and it was noted that Andrew Murrison MP supported the need for the funding required.

Resolved: 

That Full Council approve the homeless strategy 2019 – 2024 and agrees the implementation of the Homeless Strategy Action Plan.

Votes for the motion (76)

Votes against the motion (0)

Votes in abstention (0)