How ex-homeless pair have helped shape Hartlepool's help for rough sleepers

Hartlepool Borough Council has been consulting in recent months on its Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2021-24.

Since initial talks over the strategy in September, council officers have been in contact with two adults who have experienced homelessness to allow them to share their stories in order to help shape future services.

The consultation has also gathered responses from 15 members of the Homelessness Prevention Partnership along with specialist support providers, police and social landlords.

A report to go before the council’s finance and policy committee on Monday, recommending the strategy for approval, states “all responses” agreed with their key proposed objectives.

These are preventing and relieving homelessness, ending rough sleeping, supporting complex adults and providing temporary accommodation while supporting people to move on and increase housing options.

The report, from council director of children’s and joint commissioning services Sally Robinson, notes the strategy ensures individuals and families that become homeless are fully supported.

The strategy outlines how “typically single people make the largest number of homeless applications – usually more men than women”.

It adds one bedroom accommodation “is by far in greatest demand” and the individuals tend to be in the 18–54 years age bracket with more than half of them being 18-34 years of age.

The strategy also looks at the reasons for homelessness from April 2020 to March 2021, with families no longer being willing or able to accommodate individuals “by far the biggest reason” for referrals for homelessness.

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