By 2030, we want to stop homelessness before it starts. This means identifying risks early and stepping in with support before people reach crisis point whether they are at risk of eviction, sofa surfing, leaving institutional care, or facing financial hardship. It requires close collaboration with a wide range of partners from health and social care to landlords and community organisations to ensure no one slips through the net. Prevention also means empowering people with the tools, advice, and support needed to sustain their housing independently.

Challenges to achieving this goal:

• Rising rents and living costs continue to outpace wages and benefits, putting more households at risk of losing their homes.
• A shortage of affordable housing and limited access to private rentals can delay move-on options and create blockages in the housing system.
• Some individuals face complex personal circumstances including domestic abuse, debt, mental health needs, or learning disabilities which require tailored, joined-up support.
• Gaps in communication between agencies can lead to missed opportunities for early intervention.

What we have achieved and will build on:

• Strengthened homelessness prevention through earlier identification of risk, co-locating housing staff in community spaces like libraries and the Job Centre, and improving signposting across services.
• Delivered financial assistance schemes such as rent in advance and tenancy sustainment support to help people stay housed.
• Worked with partners to develop a local duty to co-operate, streamlining referrals and ensuring agencies act quickly when someone is at risk.
• Delivered housing advice, mediation, and outreach support tailored to young people, domestic abuse survivors, and those leaving institutional care.

Looking ahead to 2030, we will strengthen our commitment by:

• Embedding prevention at every stage from initial contact to post-settlement support across all services.
• Developing multi-agency housing and wellbeing plans for those most at risk, including earlier support for prison leavers, care leavers, and hospital discharges.
• Scaling up housing advice and support in schools, health services, and through digital channels, through the Council’s Housing and Welfare Group.
• Expanding partnerships with voluntary sector organisations to improve access to debt advice, employment support, and community-based services.
• Monitoring local housing pressures in real time to anticipate risk and respond with targeted, timely support.
• Developed trusted relationships with local landlords and agents to increase access to private rented homes for vulnerable residents.