Agenda item

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Attridge introduced the report which provided a background to Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and proposed innovative housing developments to increase the supply of affordable accommodation for the under 35 age group.  It also included proposals for improved temporary accommodation and more cost effective shelter for rough sleepers.  The proposals would enable the Council to continue to prevent homelessness and avoid any rough sleeping within the County.

                        The new legislation put a much stronger emphasis on the prevention of homelessness and the Council had undertaken a number of steps to ensure it could comply with the new duties and manage the additional pressures.

                        The Customer Services Manager explained that the availability of housing was a growing risk for the service with the numbers on the social register having increased significantly over the past year.  The average wait for a 3-bed property was 11 months and the current supply for single people did not meet the demand with the lack of available housing having an impact on the Council’s use of interim accommodation.  The Council went beyond its statutory duty and accommodated anybody who had nowhere safe to stay and some of those placements became extended and placed a financial burden on the Council.  The report also highlighted the additional pressures the Council had faced finding suitable housing options and the importance of the services that prevented households from becoming homeless.  Any reductions to the transition funding and/or Supporting People funding presented a further risk to the Council.

                        New developments included increasing availability for the under 35 age group and support was being sought from the innovative housing fund to develop more smaller and/or shared accommodation.  For temporary accommodation, there was the opportunity to develop it in a more efficient way and to link it to education and employment.  Support was also being sought from the Innovative Housing Fund to develop this area to provide a transformational positive environment for those who wished to break the cycle of homelessness.

            On rough sleeping, the Council aimed to prevent this but needed to consider alternative options to bed and breakfast and hotels.  They included a temporary shelter and working with the third sector and charities to set up a fund for essential items the homeless and the running of an emergency shelter.

            There was also a wholly new approach which was Housing First.   This approach had no preconceptions on people in order for them to access accommodation with accommodation being provided, often in the private rented sector, and support was provided to meet the needs of the individual.  It required a multi-disciplinary approach that went beyond homelessness and housing-related support.

Councillor Bithell welcomed the report.  He asked if a family member helped out with temporary accommodation would this be detrimental to the homeless person in that they would be put further back down the list.  The Customer Services Manager confirmed that did not happen and there was no disincentive to family offering support; the homeless status was retained.

Councillor Butler said the report demonstrated the positivity of Flintshire County Council in offering over and above what was required by legislation which was an example of a caring authority.

Councillor Shotton welcomed the approach of Housing First which aimed to end the use of temporary accommodation by rethinking how homelessness was dealt with.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the update on the management of the new legislation with the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 be noted;

(b)       That the challenges that the Council has faced finding suitable housing options for households be noted, and the further risks to this should transition funding cease and/or Supporting People funding reduce; and

(c)        That the proposals to develop new housing provision to alleviate homelessness in the county be approved in principle.