Cabinet received and considered Minute OSC20/33 arising from the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) held on 23 November 2020 regarding the Review of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy (2019-2024).  It was noted that the report should relate to all wards (not just Bexhill as stated) and all four recommendations from the OSC were being considered and resolved by Cabinet. 

The OSC had considered in detail the update on the progress of the Improvement Delivery Plan of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy (2019-2014), in particular the three strategic priorities: Increasing the Supply of Housing; Rough Sleeping, Homelessness and Meeting Housing Aspirations; and Improving the quality and suitability of existing housing and new build housing.

Cabinet was pleased to note that a number of targets had already been achieved and would be updated by new targets to ensure continued delivery of the strategy.  The additional Government funding provided as a result of COVID-19 to ensure all rough sleepers were brought into temporary accommodation and supported would end in March and how this would be managed post funding would be challenging.  It was agreed that a review of the strategy should be undertaken by the OSC annually.    

RESOLVED: That

1)    the ‘targets achieved’ as listed in Appendix B to the report be removed from the Improvement Delivery Plan and replaced with the proposed new/amended targets at Appendix C to the report, with revised Outcomes included;

2)    the progress made against the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy included in the Improvement Delivery Plan (Appendix A to the report) be noted;

3)    investigations be undertaken to identify sites on which pre-fabricated buildings could be installed to be used for Temporary Accommodation; and

4)    a review of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy be undertaken annually.