Purpose

The Council has received confirmation of its Homelessness Prevention, Rough Sleeping and Domestic
Abuse Grant allocation for 2026/27. The funding is included within the approved budget but has increased
so the purpose of this decision is to approve the proposed allocation of resources in line with grant
conditions, statutory duties and local priorities.
St Leger Homes delivers the statutory homelessness service on behalf of the Council. This includes
homelessness prevention, housing advice and assistance, homelessness assessments, temporary
accommodation management, tenancy sustainment, private rented sector access, move-on
accommodation and wider prevention activity.
Adult Social Care deliver a range of services relating to the care, support and accommodation of people
experiencing rough sleeping and multiple disadvantage. These services support individuals experiencing
long-term rough sleeping, trauma, mental ill-health, substance misuse and wider social exclusion.
Domestic abuse services also provide support to individuals and families at risk of homelessness due to
unsafe accommodation, helping victims access safe housing and specialist support.
The Government has introduced significant changes to homelessness and rough sleeping funding through
the Fair Funding Review. Separate homelessness and rough sleeping grants have now been consolidated
into a single Homelessness Prevention, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant. The revised
arrangements place greater emphasis on:
• prevention and early intervention
• reducing rough sleeping
• partnership and whole-system working
• flexibility of local delivery
• improved outcomes for vulnerable residents
The grant supports local authorities to discharge their statutory duties under the Housing Act 1996 and
deliver against local homelessness strategies and national homelessness objectives.

Decision

Approval is given to:
• Approve the allocation of funding in line with grant conditions, statutory duties and local
priorities to support homelessness prevention, rough sleeping services and wider
partnership-based support provision.
• Continue funding statutory homelessness and prevention services delivered through St
Leger Homes.
• Continue funding rough sleeping, supported accommodation and multiple disadvantage
interventions delivered through Adult Social Care and commissioned providers.
• Approve investment in additional homelessness prevention and early intervention activity,
including outreach prevention work, tenancy sustainment and partnership-based
prevention approaches.
• Support the development of Day Services and wider engagement provision for people
experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping.
• Support the development of wider partnership working, information, advice and guidance
provision and whole-system approaches to homelessness prevention and rough sleeping.
• Retain flexibility within the remaining allocation to respond to emerging service pressures,
prevention priorities and future service development opportunities in line with grant
conditions and local need.

Alternative options considered

1. Continue existing arrangements without additional investment in prevention activity
Rejected as this would limit opportunities to strengthen early intervention, partnership working
and prevention-focused approaches.

2. Allocate all additional funding solely to statutory homelessness functions
Rejected as this would reduce flexibility to respond to wider causes of homelessness and rough
sleeping and limit opportunities for partnership-led prevention activity.

3. Reduce or discontinue existing rough sleeping interventions
Rejected due to the significant risk of increased rough sleeping, repeat homelessness, pressure
on emergency services and poorer outcomes for vulnerable residents.

4. Limit funding to accommodation-based responses only
Rejected as homelessness is wider than solely a housing issue and requires coordinated
responses across housing, health, social care, advice services and community partners.