Purpose of Report
To seek approval to extend Lincolnshire Homelessness Strategy for a further twelve months in order to allow time for review.
Decision
That the Lincolnshire Homelessness Strategy be extended for a further twelve months to allow time for review.
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
(1) To extend the current County Homelessness Strategy.
(2) To develop a City of Lincoln Homelessness Strategy.
Reasons for the Decision
The Lincolnshire County Homelessness Strategy Group had consisted of members from each of the local authority areas in Lincolnshire together with other statutory and voluntary organisations. This partnership had been recognised as an example of best practice which had enabled the successful development of three previous countywide Homelessness Strategies and had provided access to additional funding to support service provision across the county.
The current strategy had been approved by the Executive in December 2019 and had covered the period up to the end of 2021. The strategy had an action plan to underpin the priorities and was led by the strategic leads of the seven local authorities across the county. The strategy was due to be reviewed in 2021, however Covid-19 had presented many challenges and workstreams had been re-prioritised.
A review of the existing strategy would update progress on previous highlighted priorities and would shape workstreams to fit within pandemic recovery plans. This would be carried out by all seven local authority areas in the county. The purpose of the review was set out in the report. An extension of the current strategy would allow sufficient time for the review to be completed.