Proposed by Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Brandt

Green member motion

This Council recognises that, despite on-going efforts to prevent the need for people to sleep rough on Oxford’s streets, there remains a large number of individuals in Oxford– namely those without an officially recognised local connection – for whom no immediate solution is available. [1]

This Council notes the launch of a scheme by Homes4All to convert buses into homeless night shelters [2], and recognises that those without a local connection would be able to use the bus.

This Council further notes:

·         the ambition of Homes4All to get their first bus up and running by the end of the year to be ready for this year’s cold spell;

·         the existence of a business plan prepared by Homes4All;

·         the potentially large amount of leverage a modest piece of financing from the Council could achieve in “pump-priming” this initiative;

Council therefore agrees to ask the Board Member to ask officers to consider and if necessary ask CEB to

approve a budget variation of £20,000 funding for Homes4All to be funded from surpluses or reserves, to be made available immediately subject to the usual due diligence checks.

[1] OCC Draft Homeless and Housing Strategy. Page 43. “To reduce rough sleeping and single homelessness we will: …explore feasible options to accommodate and/or support homeless rough sleepers in the City who have no local connection to the City or anywhere else, and no recourse to public funds.” 

[2] http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15648657.Buses_may_be_used_to_remedy_Oxford__39_s_homeless_crisis/

Councillor Simmons proposed his submitted motion as set out in the agenda and in the briefing note, seconded by Councillor Brandt.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amended motion was declared lost.