(Report of Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health)
The report gave details of proposed changes to homelessness legislation and provided an overview of the implications and potential risks to the Council. Reference was made to a new duty to prevent homelessness for all eligible applicants irrespective of priority need status and the extension of the period of the prevention duty from 28 to 56 days. It was anticipated that the changes would increase both in-house workloads and the use of temporary accommodation.
Concern was also expressed about the growing issue of out of London placements in Kent and its impact on the local housing market. A copy of a briefing note presented to Kent MPs on behalf of Kent Leaders and the Kent Housing Group was annexed to the report and Members would be updated in due course on the outcome of the resulting representations to be made to the Housing and Planning Minister.
Following consideration by the Communities and Housing Advisory Board, the Cabinet Member for Housing resolved that:
The Homelessness Reduction Bill be noted and actions taken by officers to date be endorsed together with the representations made to Kent MPs on out of London placements.