Councillors to consider consultation on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy

Cabinet will be presented with a draft of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy when it meets at County Hall on Wednesday 11 October.

The strategy sets out the key areas we will focus on to deliver the vision 'Durham is a county where we all work together to eradicate homelessness and rough sleeping and where everyone has a safe place to call home'.

We are now hoping to seek views on the proposed four priorities which have been developed following a consultation earlier in the year.

The priorities are:

• Prevent people from becoming homeless.
• Improve access to and supply of accommodation.
• Ensure the appropriate support is available for people who are homeless.
• Reduce rough sleeping.

Tackling the causes

Cllr Alan Shield, our Cabinet member for equality and inclusion, said: "Homelessness can lead people, and their families and friends, into a cycle that can have a profound effect on all aspects of life.

"It is not just a lack of accommodation; homelessness can affect our physical and mental health and wellbeing, educational achievement, ability to gain and sustain employment and puts pressure on personal and family relationships.

"The impact of homelessness can devastate lives, and it is often a long journey for an individual to build their life up again. The draft strategy highlights the challenges that we face as a housing authority and details how we will tackle the complex causes of homelessness by focusing on prevention and early intervention."

If approved, County Durham residents, key partners and stakeholders will be invited to have their say on the draft strategy when it goes out to consultation at the end of the month.

The consultation will be live for a period of seven weeks, from 30 October to 18 December, and will run alongside the consultation on the draft Housing Strategy Consultation.

The final version of the strategy will be brought back to Cabinet in March 2024 for approval.