People across Derby are being encouraged to share their views on two strategies that will help shape housing services across the city.
The draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy sets out the Council’s plans to help prevent and tackle homelessness.
Developed in line with the Government's National Plan to End Homelessness, the strategy proposes five priorities designed to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.
These focus on preventing homelessness at the earliest opportunity wherever possible, supporting people most at risk, improving support during a housing crisis and helping people maintain a stable home in the long term. A key focus of the strategy is on early intervention, ensuring that people can access the right support before housing issues escalate into homelessness.
The proposals have been shaped by local housing and homelessness data, national research, and feedback from people with lived experience of homelessness, frontline staff, housing providers and partner organisations.
Residents, service users, partner organisations and other stakeholders are invited to comment on whether these priorities are the right ones for Derby and what else the Council should consider before the strategy is finalised.
Alongside this, the Council is seeking views on its draft Supported Housing Strategy.
Supported housing provides a safe place to live and tailored support for people who need help to live independently. This can include older people, people with learning disabilities, people experiencing poor mental health, and people moving on from homelessness.
The strategy is built around ten priorities designed to ensure that supported housing meets local needs and supports people to move-on through access to suitable accommodation for independent living. The priorities are also designed to provide the right support at the right time, maintain high standards of quality and safety, and help people to move towards greater independence,
Councillor Shiraz Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing, Strategic Planning and Regulatory Services, said:
Access to affordable, safe and high-quality housing with appropriate support where needed, provides the foundation for people to live healthy, safe, and independent lives, and both strategies will play an essential role in shaping services across the city over coming years.
Our vision is to improve housing outcomes, help some of the most vulnerable people in our city and develop plans that reflect the views and experiences of residents, including those with lived experience of homelessness and supported housing services.
We want to hear from as many people as possible so we can identify the right priorities for Derby.
Feedback from the consultations will help the Council understand whether it has identified the right priorities and how the final stages and delivery plans should be developed.
The consultations are open until Monday 11 January and the surveys can be completed on Let’s Talk Derby.