Agenda and draft minutes

46.1    Apologies were received from Councillor Miles Row.

47.1    Councillor Caston and Councillor Whyman declared an interest in item JOS/23/27 due to being private landlords.

47.2    Councillor Riley declared an interest in item JOS/23/27 due to being a director of a company which operates as a private landlord.

47.3    Councillor Scarff declared an interest in item JOS/23/27 due to being a trustee of the Stowmarket Relief Trust and his wife being a private landlord.

47.4    The Monitoring Officer granted all Councillors a dispensation to deal with housing matters. Therefore, all Members who declared an interest relating to private landlords could remain on the Committee and participate in the debate and vote.

48.1    Councillor Jamieson proposed that the minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd October 2023 as detailed in the tabled papers be confirmed and signed as a true record.

48.2    Councillor Smith seconded the proposal.

By a vote of 9 For and 1 Abstention

It was RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd October 2023 be confirmed and signed as a true record.

49.1    None received.

To consider questions from and provide answers to members of the public on any matter in relation to which the Committee has powers or duties and of which due notice has been given in accordance with the Committee and Sub-Committee Procedures Rules.

50.1    None received.

To consider questions from and provide answers to Councillors on any matter in relation to which the Committee has powers or duties and of which due notice has been given in accordance with the Committee and Sub-Committee Procedure Rules.

51.1    None received.

52.1    Councillor Jessie Carter – Babergh Cabinet Member for Housing – introduced the report to the Committee outlining before Members the Councils’ commitment to reducing instances of rough sleeping, the mandates issued as part of the Homelessness Act (2002), the review of the previous 2019 – 2014 homelessness strategy, the factors which can result in people becoming homeless, the visions of the strategy, the development of a multi-agency approach, and thanked officers involved in the development and delivery of the strategy.

52.2    The Housing Strategy and Policy Officer provided a presentation to the Committee outlining before Members details of the previous strategy, the upcoming consultation period, the strategy’s core vision, the delivery plan underpinning the strategy, and provided details on the work achieved and upcoming targets for each of the strategy’s five priorities.

52.3    Councillor Scarff raised the requirement for senior leadership to agree and support the Councils becoming Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) accredited and queried if the same agreement was required from the authorities involved in the delivery of the strategy. The Corporate Manager for Housing Solutions responded that becoming DAHA accredited had been presented to senior leadership and that commitment from various authorities would be sought at the Good Start Project Board.

52.4    Councillor Grandon queried what type of accommodation were rough sleepers often referred to. The Assistant Manager for Housing Solutions responded that the Rough Sleeping Initiative Fund provided the Councils with step-beds, either in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) or self-contained units, where individuals were kept until their needs could be assessed and the appropriate long-term accommodation identified.

52.5    Councillor Grandon further questioned regarding the geography of rough sleepers across both Districts. The Assistant Manager for Housing Solutions responded that incidental rough sleepers were often found in urban areas and towns and that more entrenched rough sleepers were located in isolated rural areas.

52.6    Councillor Scarff questioned what plans had been put in place to continue funding the delivery of the strategy beyond the end of the Rough Sleeping Initiative funding in 2025. The Corporate Manager for Housing Solutions responded that a review of staffing and the delivery of the strategy would be undertaken to ensure that the Councils can afford to continue enacting the service at its current level sustainably.

52.7    Councillor Terence Carter questioned whether the strategy permitted rough sleepers to keep their pets when being rehoused into temporary accommodation. The Housing Solutions Accommodation Officer responded that a pet policy was currently being devised and that pets were permitted in a majority of temporary accommodation units where it can be supervised.

52.8    Councillor Caston queried how much impact the cost of living crisis, coupled with a lack of available rental properties at affordable prices and the rural geography of the districts, was having on meeting targets and being able to deliver an effective strategy. The Corporate Manager for Housing Solutions responded that it was likely impossible to end rough sleeping as a whole due to the number of factors leading people to become  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

53.1    Councillor Jamieson queried the reasons why some recommendations for Item JOS/23/15 were listed as “not started”. The Lead Officer for Overview and Scrutiny responded that recommendation 1.2. and 1.6. had been completed, that this would be rectified on the action tracker, and that discussions were being had with the appropriate officers regarding getting the other outstanding actions progressed.

53.2    Councillor Riley requested if the date for the annual review of the Western Suffolk Community Safety Partnership in 2024 could be added to the action tracker to suitably advise members of when these actions would be reported back to the Committee. The Lead Officer for Overview and Scrutiny responded that this would be included in the tracker as requested.