Issue - meetings

Preventing Homelessness Strategy 2025 -2030

Meeting: 04/09/2025 - Cabinet (Item 126)

Webcast for 04/09/2025 - Cabinet

126 Preventing Homelessness Strategy 2025-2030 PDF 619 KB

Purpose

To present a new Preventing Homelessness Strategy which will assist the Council to deliver its statutory duties towards those households facing homelessness.

Recommendation(s)

That Cabinet resolves to:

1. Approve the implementation of the Preventing Homelessness Strategy 2025-2030 with immediate effect.

Additional documents:

Decision:

The purpose of the report was to present a new Preventing Homelessness Strategy to assist the Council in delivering its statutory duties towards households facing homelessness.

Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, introduced the report.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Juliet Layton and seconded by Councillor Claire Bloomer.

RESOLVED that Cabinet

Approved the implementation of the Preventing Homelessness Strategy 2025-2030 with immediate effect.

Voting Record:

8 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.

Minutes:

Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning introduced the report and presented the new Preventing Homelessness Strategy 2025 -2030 produced to comply with requirements of the Homelessness Act 2002 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

The strategy set out key priorities focused on shifting from reactive to preventative approaches.

It was noted that homelessness in the Cotswolds had risen by 30% since 2020, despite progress in maintaining low levels of rough sleeping, delivering 458 affordable homes, and preventing homelessness for over 200 households in the past year.

The report highlighted pressures from high housing costs (average £440,000 for a home; around £1,000 per month for a two-bed rental) and increasing demand. The Council received £369,227 in Homelessness Prevention Grant funding for 2025–26, with 49% ring-fenced for prevention, relief and staffing.

Members noted that the annual ring-fenced Homelessness Prevention Grant supported this duty, with key outcomes to prevent single homelessness and rough sleeping, reduce family use of unsuitable temporary accommodation, and eliminate B&B placements beyond six weeks.

The strategy and action plan had been reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in May and no formal recommendations had been raised. The Committee had indicated broad support for the strategy.

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet Member for Health, Culture and Visitor Experience, noted the strategy’s mention of vulnerable groups, including those experiencing domestic abuse and veterans, the report author reported that very few veterans presented as homeless in the Cotswold District Council area and currently none were recorded, though some occasionally appear on the waiting list.

Cabinet Members expressed their thanks to all the officers involved for their excellent work.