Agenda item - Housing First – options for expansion

RESOLVED:

That the Health & Wellbeing Board:

1.    Notes the report.

2.    Instructs officers to identify the options to enable up to 10 units of accommodation to be identified and secured as required for the expansion of Housing First and report the findings to the Health & Wellbeing Board.

32.1      Officers introduced the report which showed potential options for expanding Housing First to 20 units from the ten already provided in the city. Officers presented three case studies of individuals who had been housed through the Housing First programme in the city.

32.2      Councillor Mears noted that there had been a report detailing the Housing First pilot which had come to the Housing & New Homes Committee and that it may have been useful for that information be to have been included in the report brought to the Board. She stated that there had been similar schemes in the past which had led to anti-social behaviour in the community after individuals had been housed and the support package around them had been discontinued.

32.3      Officers responded that support was long term and would be in place for as long as it was needed. Each individual would have a bespoke package of support built around their needs.

32.4      Councillor Page stated that Housing First was a very good scheme but was concerned that it was being rolled out too slowly. The report estimated that 46 people in the city could benefit from Housing First but the report was looking at a maximum of 20 units available. He asked officers to clarify which option they were recommending to the board.

32.5      Officer responded that the pace at which Housing First could be scaled up was limited by having to ensure that the necessary support packages in place. Officers were asking to investigate potential options for how to expand Housing First given the housing needs of the city.

32.6      Councillors Wealls and Mears both expressed concern that the remit for rough sleeping had been split between several committees. This had led to information and decision being difficult to follow through the various forums and ultimately meant that there was a loss of accountability as no single body had ownership of the issue.

32.7      The Chair responded that the decision to bring the paper to the Health & Wellbeing Board was made due to the Board controlling the budget for Adult Social Care which is where the funding would come from. If Officers recommended using council housing stock to expand housing first those recommendation would have to go the Housing & New Homes Committee. The Chair stated that she agreed that the intersections of terms of references had caused some confusion and would ask the Constitutional Working Group to examine rough sleeping and provide guidance as to where the future reports should be considered. The Chair also requested the Chief Executive raise the issue at Leaders Group.

32.8      The Legal Advisor stated that from a legal perspective having rough sleeping in the terms of reference for several committees meant that decision taken at any of the meetings would be defensible and was the Council acting within its powers. However there was a need for greater coordination.

32.9      The Executive Director, Health & Adult Social Care stated that services aimed at rough sleepers were about all round wellbeing rather than just accommodation and that the Health & Wellbeing Board was best placed to consider these issues.

32.10   Councillor Moonan stated that she was looking forward to the university completing its evaluation of the Housing First pilot. She hoped Housing First would be expanded as it helped to meet the needs of vulnerable people in the city who may otherwise fall outside of the system.

32.11   RESOLVED:

That the Health & Wellbeing Board:

1.    Notes the report.

2.    Instructs officers to identify the options to enable up to 10 units of accommodation to be identified and secured as required for the expansion of Housing First and report the findings to the Health & Wellbeing Board.