Agenda item

This report will follow in supplementary papers after it has been published for the meeting of the Executive Committee (due for publication on Monday 1 June 2026).

The Housing Development and Strategy Manager presented a report on the Shared Homelessness Strategy for 2026-2031.

The Committee was informed that Redditch Borough Council had worked in partnership with Bromsgrove District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Wychavon District Council and Wyre Forest District Council to develop the strategy. It was noted that the Homelessness Act 2002 required all housing authorities to have a homelessness and rough sleeping strategy in place, based on a review of all forms of homelessness within their area. This was alongside compliance with the Homelessness Reduction Act, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and the Renters Right Act 2025.

Members were advised that a consultation had been undertaken and that the responses received had been considered and incorporated where appropriate.

In relation to measurable outcomes, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was informed that the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had provided the required metrics for the Local Outcomes Framework. The core outcome measures on which local authorities were assessed were outlined as:

·       The rate of households with children in temporary accommodation (per 1,000 households)

·       The number of families in Bed & Breakfast accommodation for over six weeks

·       The percentage of duties owed where homelessness was prevented or relieved

·       The number of people sleeping rough on a single night

·       The number of people sleeping rough over the month who were long-term rough sleepers

The financial implications of the strategy were outlined and it was explained that the new Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant would provide funding to support delivery. The Committee was advised that a separate report had already been presented to Members detailing spending priorities for the subsequent three years.

In considering the context of Local Government Reorganisation, Members were reassured that the strategy had been developed to be adaptable for incorporation into either one or two unitary authorities, pending the development of a new single strategy based on a fresh homelessness review as required by the Homelessness Code of Guidance.

Members made further comments in relation to these areas:

·       New duties on the Council as a result of Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – It was reported that additional £60,000 in funding had been awarded through Government funding to the Council’s Private Sector Housing Team. This was used to employ additional staff in that team to help with ensuring the Council could meet additional workload and duties arising from Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

·       Domestic Abuse Victims– It was explained that often in cases of domestic abuse, a victim would be relocated to a confidential refuge accommodation via the Council’s sanctuary scheme as it was necessary to escape from the perpetrator. Members observed that in such cases it remained the victim and their children who suffered more disruption by having to move out of their house. It was noted that often this was a necessary step to avoid the perpetrators finding out the location of the victim.

·       Officers reported that under the Social Housing Bill (which currently passed the second reading in the House of Lords) social landlords and courts would be able to evict perpetrators of domestic abuse from social housing, without the victim having to leave first. It was noted that currently, landlords could only evict a domestic abuse perpetrator after the victim has already left the home, and in joint tenancies, the only option for the victim was to end the tenancy entirely.

·       Care leavers and social housing – Officers explained that the Council worked to strengthen partnership working with the County Council’s Children’s Services and the Care Leavers Team, which was to prevent homelessness legislation from being used as a pathway to house care leavers following the end of a Looked After Child Placement. Instead, the Council and the County Council worked to ensure more support is provided to care leavers in their transition to adulthood and independent living.

·       Housing with respect to veterans, refugees and ‘sofa surfers’ – It was noted in respect of former armed forces personnel that the Council had a favourable housing allocation policy. It was reiterated that a social housing application had to be submitted before the Council could consider a person’s circumstances for social housing. With respect to ‘sofa surfers’ (i.e. people who stayed informally with friends or family but who had no fixed address), the Council would not normally be able to identify unless a person in such situation presented as homeless to the Council. It was noted in respect of refugees the numbers of refugees who presented as homeless in the County were low.

·       Temporary Accommodation properties with disability adaptations – Officers reported that there had been an increase in the numbers of people being discharged from hospital directly to temporary accommodation, who required properties with disability adaptations. Officers were investigating provision of adaptations such as walk-in showers and ramps in more temporary accommodation and council housing units to cater to the growing demand.

The Committee endorsed the approval of the Strategy.

RECOMMENDED that

the Shared Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-2031 be approved.