Homeless prevention and rough sleeping strategy
- Name
- Homeless prevention and rough sleeping strategy 2026-2031
- Summary
-
Homelessness affects individuals, couples and families - and it can happen to anyone. The Herefordshire Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031 sets out how partners across Herefordshire including the council will work together with the aim of preventing homelessness and rough sleeping. Where homelessness does occur, we aim to make it rare, brief and non‑recurring.
The strategy features our five key principles, and a comprehensive set of 42 actions, alongside our statutory duties as a council. We have developed this using local evidence, national and international best practice, input from organisations across the private and VCSE sectors, and most importantly, insight, views and ideas from people with lived experience of homelessness.
How can we prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping?
Five clear priorities
Help earlier, before crisis hits
More support to identify risk sooner and prevent homelessness through the Early Intervention and Prevention of Homelessness Team, the Talk Community network, and stronger use of the Duty to Refer powers.
Joined‑up support that's easier to navigate
Closer partnership working across housing, health partners, Adult Social Care, probation and Justice System partners, Children's Services and the voluntary and community sector - building on the impact of our BRAVE (Building Resilience Against Enduring Vulnerabilities) approach to coordination and shared problem‑solving to better help people with often complex needs.
A better accommodation offer
Improving the quality, volume and suitability of temporary accommodation, expanding move‑on options, and supporting delivery of more social and affordable housing across the county - especially where there are known shortages.
A more proactive, evidence‑led approach
Better use of data and learning to spot trends, improve services, and target help effectively including improved information sharing and intelligence‑led decision making.
Making best use of funding and resources
Meeting statutory responsibilities, building workforce capacity, and continuing to secure and use funding to sustain prevention work, rough sleeping services and supported accommodation pathways.
Key new developments to make a difference
We will follow a clear plan from 2026-2031 covering prevention, crisis responses and support, and supporting people into stable accommodation, including these major improvements:
Research options for new emergency winter accommodation
New facilities which meet NICE guidance for health impact, and provide more resilient infection control
Increased multi-agency working
Building on the success of Herefordshire Council's BRAVE initiative which identifies and supports hard-to-reach, vulnerable individuals, often with complex needs, including the 'Team Around Me' and 'Breaking the Cycle' teams which include Adult Social Care, the Police, specialist charities and social enterprises, the NHS and other partners. Two dedicated new outreach roles provide local 'eyes and ears' already, working with local community and voluntary groups, the Police, GP practices and businesses to identify people at risk. These successful posts are now fully funded until at least 2028.
Trauma informed approach
Across all relevant council and partner staff including a formal training programme.
Reduced use of bed and breakfast accommodation
Creating more temporary accommodation, working with private landlords and other tactics to give households who are temporarily homeless more and better options.
County-wide prevention
Growing local insight and intelligence, developing and using an innovative new toolkit so anyone can identify people at risk and refer/signpost them to a single point of contact.
Work with Justice System partners
To develop new accommodation units for prison leavers. They will provide up to 12 weeks' accommodation and move‑on support, so no one leaves prison to go straight onto the streets.
New experts by experience network
Bringing partners and people with experience of homelessness together across the county to develop new approaches.
Rapid access to support
Target of providing specialist support within 24 hours for people with chronic mental health, addictions and other support needs.
Hospital discharge in-reach
Joint working with the NHS to identify and proactively find solutions for people with no accommodation arranged prior to being discharged.
- Document
- Last updated date
- 2026
- Review date
- 2031
- Related web page