City of York Council, UK Decision Sessions, 31 Oct 2019

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From YouTube: Decision Session - Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods, 31 October 2019

Description

AGENDA
1. Declarations of Interest
2. Minutes
3. Public Participation
4. Homeless Review 2018/19
5. Urgent Business

For full agenda, attendance details and supporting documents visit:
https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=932&MId=11558

A

Okay, so I'm counselor Deniz crank an executive member for housing, safer neighborhoods, and this is a decision session. So I have no declarations of interest.

A

We find C really don't have any public participation.

B

A

Fine, so we're moving on to item four homeless review, 2018 19, so doing have some comments from properties.

C

A

Have to do what about a minute? Yes, would you like to actually put a present for those minutes? Does it matter sure.

C

It does much yeah.

A

Well, actually, as a new Ju, you are a.

A

Sorry about that, that's just.

C

It my name's Tim Carolina service manager for housing options and support team, so I saw up and see the local authorities homeless service. So just in terms of the report, technology in the work that we did in 2018-19, as primarily part of the document and just wanted to saw, highlight some.

C

It was a very, very busy year for the service in terms of the introduction of the homeless reduction Act, which was ongoing development work for the for the housing options team, primarily, but also, but for anybody that works in homelessness and also the 1890 year, was the introduction of the rough sleepers initiative funding strain, which we were successful in achieving some funding from Central to give us more resources to tackle of sleep in which I think significantly contributed to a reduction over the last year.

C

A

You and do you have something to add.

B

Only their searches to reiterate what tough environment the team are operating in a housing market, New York in particular, is an extremely competitive one.

B

It's difficult for people earning decent wages to access, affordable, housing, much harder for for other people, and we know that there is a very challenging financial environment which has been around for quite a few years now, I'd highlight the ability of the team to attract resources from central government, which has gone some way to replacing some of the resources that unfortunately, have been taken out over the last decade or so within the service, and that has as Tim as pointed out gone somewhere towards the not.

C

Inconsiderable.

B

Achievements of the team, I would say over the last year or two, and the report outlined some challenging targets for the team to continue that good work and to continue to innovate and work for the people of yours, for those particularly mean housing, advice and most of those people that find themselves potentially illness or actually homeless. And sadly, on occasion of sleeping this, one.

A

Thank you and the housing reduction act as housing. The sense made it more difficult for us in a particular way, because we actually have to work with ahead of that. The.

B

Voice reduction hours, indeed very well intended and welcomed legislation nationally locally, unfortunately, did set us back because we were a gold standard performing local authority and we continue to be and with.

B

Approaches and processes in place, which meant that we could rapidly and effectively deal with, potentially all the situations and actual situations as well. So yes under bureaucracy to a certain extent by the introduction of that legislation. But the team have worked tremendously well and creatively in taking on board that very new an onerous legislation that was introduced in a very rapid time scale.

B

It involved the introduction of a new IT system, which was had been developed over a number of months rather than years. So it was largely being tested nationally and they've, been extremely well to be able to work through the implications of their housing with homeless reduction act. But.

C

Also continuing.

B

To deliver excellent services to the people that need those services. Thank.

A

You right so I'm happy to accept the recommendations at paragraph five. First of all, which is to note the progress made by the service I would like, on that point, to commend the staff for all the work that you've just been talking about across the homelessness services I'm working with our partners in the voluntary sector.

A

There are an awful lot of people working very hard to tackle homelessness in New, York I. Think many residents are very rightly concerned about this issue, but it is important to understand that we are already doing a lot. There's always more. That can be done. It never seems to be quite enough, but I think it's important to recognize. All that work that is is going on. I'm also happy to agree.

A

The the priorities and targets mentioned item beyond paragraph five I'm really pleased that we've continued to get in funding to support reduced number of rough sleepers and we're hopeful. We can continue to reduce those.

C

A

They when they come out the number suppose you have come out shortly and that we're also looking at other initiatives at the same time extending the housing first model, 24/7 support that we put in our budgets in July and also looking at the possibilities to develop more support in the city center for homeless people. So I think all that's very positive now think in terms of how we do this, how we approve all of this, we turn to page 12 and paragraph 31. Don't we for the.

A

For the for the option, so yeah paragraph 33, 34, so I'm happy generally obviously to support option 1 to note the contents and agree the priorities and targets for 1920 and including renaming the preventing homeless together, preventing homelessness together to preventing homelessness and rough sleeping together, which probably the government says, means we have to.

C

A

And if I could just add in a very quite a small thing, but residents are also concerned to help people who are homeless and do we already have anything in into those targets and priorities to do sort of communications initiative together, pasta, people how they can help when they see street sleepers and and.

C

Other homeless people.

A

Or people in danger, if I business doing me, don't we have that you know I'll be yeah.

C

I mean we can either in as a as a as an action point and I mean we are constantly sought allotted stuff on social media and engaging with the press and etc to try and get the word out there about what to.

A

C

Out the street link number and things like that well, on a regular basis, yeah.

A

I think that's an action pike, so whether that's strictly speaking, means it's option. Two I don't know anything sure.

C

Basically, I'm.

A

Agreeing that fire Chisholm targeted.

B

A

Thank you thank.

B