Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022 to 2025

In order to prevent homelessness effectively, the strategy needs to tackle the root causes. These are many and often complex; ranging from financial issues and employment challenges to broader lifestyle issues, which might impact on tenancy sustainment. The Council and its partners are working to ensure that everyone in Buckinghamshire has secure and affordable housing, access to employment, and support where needed.

The evidence base highlights some key challenges including:

• the number of people, particularly young people, being asked to leave by family and friends. Many of these have never held a tenancy in their own right
• the number of households with debt and financial challenges affecting their ability to pay their current rent
• the number of households threatened with homelessness when their private sector tenancy is ended
• the number of people threatened with homelessness as a result of a relationship breakdown, many involving domestic abuse
• encouraging those threatened with homelessness to make early contact with the service in order to resolve the situation and prevent homelessness
• increasing the proportion of households where homelessness can be prevented either by retaining the existing tenancy or making a planned move
• to virtually eliminate rough sleeping
• continuing to manage temporary accommodation tightly; minimise the use of B&B type accommodation; and ensure move-on from temporary accommodation at the earliest possible opportunity to affordable, sustainable, settled accommodation; and
• ensuring appropriate support is available for vulnerable households (including continuing to ensure consistent and appropriate support for mental health needs across the Buckinghamshire area)