The Executive Director (Communities and People) submitted a report to Cabinet on 15 March 2023 seeking approval of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 with associated appendices.

The Cabinet minutes are available at item 13b.

Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing will present the report and present Cabinet’s recommendations.

Recommendations: Cabinet recommends that Council resolves to:

1.    Adopt the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 and its associated appendices;

2.    Adopt of the Strategy’s Action Plan for 23-24; and

3.    Authority be delegated to the Executive Director (Communities and People), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to update the Action Plan when required.

Council considered a report from the Executive Director (Communities and People) seeking approval of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 with associated appendices.

Cllr Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing introduced the report, proposed the recommendation and answered questions.

The recommendation was agreed on being seconded by Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy and Partnerships and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.    Adopt the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 and its associated appendices;

2.    Adopt the Strategy’s Action Plan for 23-24; and

3.    Delegateauthority to the Executive Director (Communities and People), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to update the Action Plan when required.

The Executive Director (Communities and People) has submitted a report to seek approval of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 and associated appendices.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.     Note the progress made to develop the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and Action Plan for Oxford following feedback from the statutory public consultation;

2.     Recommend to Council the adoption of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 and its associated appendices;

3.     Recommend to Council the adoption of the Strategy’s Action Plan for 23-24; and

4.     Recommend to Council that authority be delegated to the Executive Director (Communities and People), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to update the Action Plan when required.

The Executive Director (Communities & People) had submitted a report to seek approval for the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Linda Smith, reported that the Strategy had been subject to a comprehensive consultation.  107 responses had been received, and 60 individuals representing 27 organisations had attended the two workshops which had been held.  The responses had been broadly positive: those issues which had been raised had largely related to things over which the Council had little or no direct control, such as private sector rents or support for those without recourse to public funds.  The Strategy had been updated following the consultation to explain this.

Councillor Smith highlighted that the action plan accompanying the strategy would be updated annually, and would enable progress to be monitored.

In discussion, it was questioned whether there were ways in which strategic engagement with registered housing providers across the city might be improved.  The Executive Director (Communities and People) undertook to give consideration to this, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.      Note the progress made to develop the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and Action Plan for Oxford following feedback from the statutory public consultation;

2.      Recommend to Council the adoption of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 and its associated appendices;

3.      Recommend to Council the adoption of the Strategy’s Action Plan for 23-24; and

4.     Recommend to Council that authority be delegated to the Executive Director (Communities and People), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to update the Action Plan when required.