New plans to tackle Hartlepool's homelessness problem despite post-pandemic fall

The Borough Council’s draft Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2021-24 has gone before the authority’s finance and policy committee last week for debate on what work is needed.

Officers said key objectives will be to “protect the most vulnerable through the prevention and relief of homelessness” and to end rough sleeping.

The work will also aim to ensure the most complex adults are supported and housing options in the borough increased.

Cllr Amy Prince, speaking at the meeting, said it was a topic “close to her heart”, adding: “This is such a complex area, you’re looking at domestic violence, domestic abuse, drugs, alcohol etc, and other things.”

Council officers added they work with Cornerstone, which ensure regular sweeps of the town take place for rough sleepers, although they noted there will be more individuals in the town who are homeless or sleeping rough, who have still to be identified.

The council’s leader, Cllr Shane Moore, said: “We’ve been really keen on aggressively delivering more council owned properties.

“Where the private sector fails, we can offer a much better product and it’s the landlord’s pocket that’s hit, so it almost forces them to up their game.”

Latest figures stated there had been a drop in general housing and homelessness inquiries received by the council over the past year from 956 to 619.

Yet officers noted this was likely because the Government amended housing legislation to prevent people being made homeless through eviction during the pandemic.