Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029

Deliver long term housing solutions and help sustain tenancies for the most vulnerable. Creating resilience.

Aim 1

Minimise barriers to allocating social housing to single homeless households in greatest housing need. 

Objectives: 

• Ensure that social housing is available to meet the needs of those with the greatest need.
• Work proactively with providers of Social Housing to deliver housing to meet identified local needs.
• Ensure that any ‘hard to let’ properties across Oxfordshire are used to meet local needs working with Registered providers to secure suitable nominations from within the county.

Actions:

• Regular review of Allocations Scheme. Collecting data and identifying groups who may be excluded or needs which are not being met.
• Hold regular review meetings with Register Providers to understand the policies they may have in place regarding exclusions and align this with nominations agreements.
• Keeping exclusions to a minimum.

Owners: 

• Strategic Housing Team Leader

Success measure or outcome:

• A robust Allocations Scheme is managed and maintained, that is flexible to clients’ needs and emerging demands.

Implementation timescale:

• Year 1

Aim 2

Domestic Abuse survivors are supported adequately and are provided with a range of options when they approach the Council for support

Objectives:

• Ensure coordinated support for survivors of domestic abuse within Cherwell, ensuring they can access support when they require it.
• Ensure that safe accommodation is provided to survivors of domestic abuse that approach the Council for support.
• Ensure that domestic abuse and the support available through the Council or through partner agencies is better promoted within Cherwell, so people know what support is available and how they may be able to access it.

Actions:

• Draft a new Domestic Abuse Strategy for Cherwell District Council
• To seek Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance Accreditation for the Council, to work towards wider service improvements.
• Consider outreach work in refuges to improve the housing outcomes for those leaving refuge and moving into permanent accommodation.

Owners: 

• Housing Options Team Leader
• Head of Housing

Success measure or outcome:

• Domestic Abuse survivors receive a quality and supportive service from the Council, shown and demonstrated by accreditation status.

Implementation timescale:

• Year 2

Aim 3

Improve tenancy support and sustainment of tenancies, preventing homelessness or repeat homelessness.

Objectives:

• Supporting clients in an agile way that is tailored to their individual needs.
• Enable clients to stay in their homes or sustain their current accommodation, preventing them from becoming homeless.
• Assist clients to sustain their new homes and tenancies, leading to a reduction in repeat homelessness.

Actions:

• Roll out of tenancy sustainment workshops to help vulnerable people maintain their accommodation or to access further support.
• Consider introduction of a risk assessment at the start of new tenancies that are housed through the general needs pathway to identify sustainment risks and make appropriate onward referrals.
• Creating a focus on tenancy sustainment risks, to concentrate resources on the most vulnerable.
• Improve links with Registered Providers and their housing teams to improve communication and interventions around clients that they may be considering taking legal actions against, to ensure support can be provided before homelessness occurs.

Owners: 

• Housing Options Team Leader
• Housing Management Team Leader

Success measure or outcome:

• Improving tenancy sustainment within Cherwell, leading to less homelessness presentations and pressure on the service.

Implementation timescale:

• Year 2

Aim 4

Improve access to supported accommodation pathways for clients that meet the needs of the pathway.

Objectives:

• Ensure that the most vulnerable clients are able to access the most appropriate supported accommodation pathway, so they can receive the support they need.
• Evaluate the supported accommodation pathways that are available and ensure that they have the flexibility to respond to changing demands and needs of clients.
• Improving move on opportunities to enabled throughput within the supported accommodation pathway.

Actions:

• Improve access to the supported accommodation process to ensure that the most appropriate clients are placed in the available placements.
• Improve move on options and speed of move on to enable more movement and availability in the pathway.
• Ensure improved exit plans to ensure enduring long-term housing options.

Owner:

• Housing Options Team Leader
• Single Homelessness Coordinator

Success measure or outcome:

• That more clients have access to the pathway and the most appropriate housing when they need it, reducing rough sleeping.

Implementation timescale:

• Year 2 to 3