The Head of Housing and Property introduced the report and advised that 113 new homes had been developed in Oxford this year under the Council’s affordable homes project. The newly redeveloped Bradlands sheltered housing scheme, which included 49 units of accommodation would be opening the following day. 

The Head of Housing and Property advised that 39 rough sleepers were identified in November during a count and that this result had been reported to government.  This represented a 50% increase on the equivalent count of 26 the previous year.  Of these rough sleepers, some had no connection to the city, some had no recourse to public funds, some were entrenched rough sleepers and some were accommodated.  The provision of services in the city was thought to attract homeless people to the city and the homelessness pathway was currently full. 

The Head of Housing and Property reported that the City Council had for the first time breached the law by housing a homeless household in bed and breakfast accommodation for over 6 weeks.  The Council was using general needs stock as temporary accommodation and a number of interventions were successful.

In response to a question about the time taken to process benefit claims, the Head of Housing and Property advised that IT systems had been down for a week in November but that performance was again moving in the right direction and officers had more recently been processing claims within 7 days.

The Panel resolved:

-       To request a briefing note from the Head of Housing and Property on rough sleepers in the city, including where they originated from;

-       To request a visit to the new housing developments including the newly redeveloped Bradlands site;

-       That the Chair would go out with officers on outreach to rough sleepers and report back to the Panel;