THE COUNCIL’S new strategy into homelessness and rough sleeping was approved by councillors at a meeting held at Shute End on Thursday, January 23.
The debate was introduced by Cllr John Kaiser.
The strategy covered four themes: meeting a need, supporting residents, and improving the quality of life and enhancing lives.
It aims to do this by boosting early intervention and prevention, working towards ending rough sleeping, building more affordable homes and supporting vulnerable residents.
Cllr Prue Bray (Lib Dem) said that there had been a rough sleeper outside the council offices.
Cllr David Hare (Lib Dem) pointed out that this was an issue that was on our doorstep and that the council needed to do more.
Cllr Carl Doran (Lab) pointed out flaws in the shared ownership model, which doesn’t help homeless people. Instead, he wanted more housing that the homeless could use and pledged to hold the council to account over it.
Ending the debate, Cllr Kaiser said: “Social housing is important to this borough.
“We will be able to deliver additional social housing.
“Grazeley will have 5,000 homes will be affordable and half of that will be social.”
He added: “Our numbers, shocking though they are, are very small. Homes is a basic human right.”
The strategy was adopted unanimously.
