On this page you will find the most recent version of our Homelessness Strategy.

It follows on from our last Homelessness Strategy that we published in 2003.  Our new strategy will build on our achievements. Our new strategy focuses on what we do to prevent homelessness rather than deal with crisis driven intervention. In addition to our own advice service we want to work with partner agencies so that we can make maximum use of homeless prevention opportunities.

The aims of the Leeds Homelessness Strategy
The aims of the Leeds Homelessness Strategy 2006-2010 are as follows:

• To embed the Council’s core strategic role in responding to homelessness and housing need
• Ensure that customers receive realistic housing advice in relation to their housing options
• Raise the profile of housing advice and homeless services in terms of their role in meeting wider strategic objectives
• Gain a better understanding of issues and trends relating to homelessness and housing need in the city
• Maximise opportunities to prevent homelessness
• Maximise housing options available to households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness
• Give customers choice in relation to the services provided and also given the opportunity to express their views on the services they have received

The Leeds Homelessness Strategy 2006-2010 sets out thirteen objectives:

1. Through effective homeless prevention work to reduce the incidence of homelessness in the city
2. Reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation by 50% by March 2010
3. Establish a Sanctuary Scheme to give customers threatened with homelessness due to domestic violence and other hate crime a wider range of options to resolve their housing difficulties
4. Increase the range of housing options open to households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness by developing the existing Private Lettings scheme
5. Reduce the level of repeat homelessness in the city
6. Continue to reduce the incidence of youth homelessness in the city
7. Continue to reduce the incidence of rough sleeping
8. Ensure that that wherever possible homeless households or those threatened with homelessness have a live housing application on the Leeds Homes Register
9. Ensure that a balance of social housing lettings is achieved so that the Council is able to fulfil its statutory duty to homeless households whilst giving other households the opportunity to access social housing
10. Improve the standard of services offered to children whose families are homeless or threatened with homelessness
11. Develop long-term solutions to the causes of homelessness amongst BME households
    

12. Ensure that households are able to move on from supported housing to appropriate longer-term accommodation of their choice within reasonable timescale

13. Ensure that homeless households have the opportunity to express their views on the services they receive or decisions made relating to their housing application

Homeless Review

This document contains useful and interesting statistical information about homelessness in Leeds.