Cabinet are asked to note the scope and progress made by the Homelessness Transformation Programme to date.

In addition, approval is sought from Cabinet to update the council’s Accommodation Placement policy to take into account the provisions of the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017) and how the council as a local housing authority will procure and allocate accommodation in the private rented sector to prevent and relieve homelessness.

Further, approval is also sought from Cabinet to introduce a procedure for officers to follow in the instance where an applicant, who is homeless, or threatened with homelessness, deliberately and unreasonably refuses to co-operate with reasonable steps taken to prevent or relieve their homelessness. This procedure will be followed where an officer wants to discharge duty where the applicant deliberately and unreasonably refuses cooperate (sections 193B and 193C Housing Act 1996).

This report also cites proposals currently under consideration by officers, which intend to align the council’s Common Housing Register Allocations Scheme with upstream homelessness prevention. The proposals will be developed further and brought forward by officers to members in due course.