New homelessness and rough sleeping strategy for Dorset

Dorset Council’s Cabinet agreed to adopt a new strategy to tackle the pressures of homelessness and rough sleeping in the area at their meeting today, Tuesday 27 July.

The strategy has been developed following a review of homelessness in Dorset, taking insight from local agencies, organisations and individuals with direct experience of homelessness. It provides a single plan for all the agencies across Dorset, including the council, and will help to concentrate our efforts for tackling and preventing homelessness over a short-medium term for all people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Following the government ‘Everyone In’ initiative during the national lockdown last year, the council was required under the Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2018 to provide a number of duties including accommodation and supporting those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. At the height of this period, the council was accommodating around 139 homeless households (including 28 rough sleepers) in temporary accommodation.

While this put immediate pressures on the council and it was widely noted that a small, local area accommodated up to 55% at that time, the council continued to support people into more settled accommodation and is currently supporting 329 people in temporary accommodation across the Dorset Council area.

Taking learning from the past and, by focusing our efforts though this new strategy, we hope to:

• Provide better support for vulnerable families and communities where homelessness exists
• Improve the help available for people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness
• Take action against any of the reasons that cause homelessness
• Work well in collaboration throughout our council services especially housing, adults social care, children’s services and public health so that we can demonstrate need and fund the right activities
• Benefit from the essential contribution by local and national public bodies, housing associations, voluntary organisations and community groups

Cllr Graham Carr-Jones, Dorset Council Portfolio for Housing and Community Safety said:

“This five-year strategy looks to tackle all forms of homelessness in Dorset and prevent it from occurring. It has been developed through extensive research conducted with many of the organisations we work with, people who have been or currently are homeless, and our own council services and councillors.

“Following these conversations, it’s clear there are specific areas of focus if we are to truly tackle and prevent homelessness and rough sleeping in Dorset.

“Many people find themselves homeless through no fault of their own. Perhaps through loss of job, relationship or family breakdown or because their landlord decides to withdraw their property from the rental market. The majority of homeless people in Dorset are not sleeping rough. We think we have set out the right approach to help all people at risk of homelessness in Dorset, or those without a home.”

More about homelessness

English local housing authorities are required by the Homelessness Act 2002 to take strategic responsibility for tackling and preventing homelessness in their area.

Find further information about from Dorset Council about homelessness.