Agenda item

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The Senior Housing Manager presented the Group with a presentation on the current trends and challenges around Homelessness in the Borough. A copy of the presentation is attached.

The Chair thanked the Senior Housing Manager for the informative presentation.

Councillor Collop asked about the Broad Street complex and about the new properties which were going to be built on the North Lynn Industrial Site and the Housing Services Manager explained planning permission was received a few years ago for family temporary accommodation and added they were proceeding with Broadland Housing. She advised there had been some delays around the supply element and the type of construction but confirmed they now had a new supplier and hoped to see some progress on the site early in the new year.

In response to a further question from Councillor Collop, the Housing Services Manager explained she had not got a completion date but confirmed she could bring something back to the next meeting.

In response to questions raised by Councillor Kemp, the Housing Services Manager explained they had a range of temporary accommodation options available and reassured they always worked with families to ensure they were placing them as close as possible to schools to try and help minimise disruption to families but explained they had to balance that with what was available.

The Senior Housing Manager responded to Councillor Kemp’s question in relation to individuals in a cycle of being in accommodation, being evicted then ending up back in emergency accommodation, and explained the organisation Housing First was there to try and help break that cycle. The Senior Housing Manager referred back to the presentation and highlighted to the Group that the success rate was very high at the moment.

Councillor Kemp asked what was being done to assist Care Leavers. The Senior Housing Manager explained they would need to look at them on a case by case basis. He added they would look to put in place a personal housing plan for them and if there were support issues that had arisen during their time in care, they would link them into other services.

In response to Councillor Kemp’s question, Councillor Rust advised the Care Leavers Covenant was yet to go to Full Council and explained it was a framework to look at what could be provided to those people that they knew were currently in care and for those that had left care.

In response to a question raised by Councillor Bubb, the Housing Services Manager explained there would be more data emerging and added they were seeing strong challenges around affordability for people who were in work or relying on a local housing allowance.

Councillor Kemp stated they had the Boost Project in the town which helped young people up to the age of 30 to get jobs and she asked officers running the Boost Project to get in contact with the Nightshelter as they were not aware of this and expressed this should be promoted better.

AGREED: The Housing Services Manager would bring something back to the next meeting in relation to the completion date on the new properties being built on the North Lynn Industrial Site.