Issue - meetings

Purpose of the Report

To present the Lincoln Homelessness Strategy and supporting action plan to Executive for approval; considered by Policy Scrutiny Committee on 29 July 2024 (Appendix C referred).

Decision

That the Homelessness Strategy be approved by Executive.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None were considered.

Reasons for the Decision

The Lincoln Homelessness Strategy 2024-2029 sat within a framework of documents which aimed to improve the housing situation in the City including the Lincoln Housing Strategy 2020-2025 and the Lincolnshire Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-2027.

The Lincoln Homelessness Strategy and its action plan was structured around the three themes of making homelessness ‘Rare, Brief and Non-Recurring.’ These themes reflected those within the National Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and also the Lincolnshire Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy which was developed and adopted by all seven Lincolnshire District Councils and Lincolnshire County Council in 2023.

The strategy included the Homelessness Review which set out the evidence base behind the strategy. The strategy and the review document met the Council’s requirement as set out in the Homelessness Act 2002.

The strategy had been developed drawing on expertise from the University of Warwick. During the development process a  number of staff were consulted from within the Council and from agencies who worked with households who were homeless or threatened with homelessness. Although the responsibility for producing the strategy lay with the Council it was produced in partnership with various other agencies within the City. and therefore represented the strategy for the City rather than for the Council alone.

Appendix 3 of the report outlined in full the objectives of the strategy.