Share your views on preventing homelessness and rough sleeping

A new strategy which aims to tackle the challenges of preventing homelessness and rough sleeping in Darlington has been created and is now open for public consultation.

The council’s Preventing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030 has been developed with the support of local partners and organisations including commissioning, adult and children’s services, health, probation, police, social and private landlords and the voluntary sector.

It aims to be, not just a council document, but one that is owned by partners and the people of Darlington.

Councillor Matthew Roche, the council’s cabinet member for health and housing, explained: “Preventing homelessness and rough sleeping is a huge issue at both national and local levels. This strategy sets out our ambition to meet the challenges, working in partnership with local providers and others to deliver better outcomes for our residents.

“Everyone in Darlington should have a secure, affordable place to call home, but such are the challenges at present this is not something we can manage on our own. We need to build upon the relationships we already have, and I’d like to thank all those who have contributed to the new strategy so far, telling us what you think of our current work and sharing your ideas on how we can improve.

“We are now sharing the new strategy more widely with the public and want to hear your views and ideas so we can understand what you think, and your views will help shape the final version of the strategy. So do please take the time to let us know what you think.”

The strategy sets out our long-term vision, which is simple yet ambitious:

• To work in partnership to end homelessness in Darlington
• That every resident in Darlington has a secure, affordable place to call home
• That the right support is in place at the right time
• Where homelessness occurs it is rare, brief and non-recurrent.

The co-produced six key priority areas to enable us to achieve this vision are:

• Working in partnership with charities and voluntary organisations, other social housing providers, Public Health and other statutory agencies to prevent homelessness
• Tackling rough sleeping by implementing our agreed Rough Sleeper Plan
• Increasing the amount and improving the quality of temporary accommodation
• Addressing homelessness faced by particular groups of people, including those presenting with multiple or complex needs
• Improving move on accommodation provision, including specialist housing and support provision
• Securing funding to increase accommodation and resources.

You can view the Preventing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030 and share your views on the consultations page of our website at www.darlington.gov.uk/consultations. If you cannot access it online, copies are also available at the customer services centre in the Town Hall. The consultation runs until 1 December 2024.