A new strategy which aims to prevent people becoming homeless is set to be adopted by Liverpool City Council.

The plan sets out how the council intends to reduce the problem over the next four years and follows a comprehensive review into the issue which saw more than 100 homeless or potentially homeless people consulted.

A major recommendation of the review is to make use of new powers which allows councils to make offers of housing in the private rented sector to homeless people.

Previously it had only been able to offer homeless people offers of social housing or six month tenancies in private sector accommodation. This means people are spending longer in temporary accommodation waiting for social housing to become available.

A key indication of the review is that the risk of homelessness in the city is increasing with a 26% rise in the number of people contacting the council’s Housing Options Service in the last five years.

Another priority in the strategy is to adopt an early prevention and intervention approach towards single people and childless couples to limit the time they currently spend in temporary accommodation. 

Councillor Frank Hont, cabinet member for housing (pictured), says: “We are placing the emphasis very much on preventing people from becoming homeless rather than picking up the pieces when somebody has lost their home – it is clearly better that, wherever possible, people remain in their own homes rather than having disruption to their children’s education, for example.

“And while we have been successful in preventing homelessness in thousands of cases we recognise there is always more we can do, especially at a time when the indications are that homelessness is on the increase.

“However successful we are in stopping people from becoming homeless there will always be those who lose their homes and we are trying to ensure we have sufficient temporary accommodation of a good standard available.

“I know there is a lot of concern about rough sleeping – people see somebody sleeping in a shop doorway and assume they do so because there is nowhere else for them to go.

“The reasons why people become homeless are many and varied .This strategy, which has been developed with the help of people, who have experienced homelessness is a comprehensive review of the issue  and sets out in detail  how we intend to prevent and reduce homelessness in the next few years.”

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