Gateshead and Newcastle Strategic Housing Market Assessment

Gateshead & Newcastle Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2010
4.4.4 The Strategy will enable the Council to build on and extend the current range of services to
take into account the information from the Review of Homelessness.
4.4.5 The strategy based, on consultation with service users, stakeholders and staff, has four main
objectives:
‣ Prevention and working towards the eradication of homelessness ‐ utilising
innovative methods to enable households to remain at home or avoid the need to
apply as homeless;
‣ Reduction in the use of temporary accommodation;
‣ Working in Partnership to help vulnerable households ‐ linking with stakeholders
and agencies to assist applicants;
‣ Continuous service improvement ‐ moving the service forward during the course
of the strategy in line with customer and Central Government requirements.
4.4.6 The Gateshead Housing Strategy recommends that the area should make best use of empty
homes and continue to work with partners to bring properties back into use.
4.4.7 The Newcastle Homeless Strategy, 2008‐2013 sets out the council approach to tackling
homelessness in the city. The aims are to:
‣ Wherever possible reduce homelessness;
‣ Continue to create options and solutions to meet housing need;
‣ Humanely and effectively support people who the council fail to prevent
becoming homeless;
‣ Proactively help the most excluded people who sleep rough;
‣ Meet not just accommodation needs but also health, support, care and
employment needs;
‣ Develop high quality buildings that create hope and inspire change.
4.4.8 In order to achieve the aims, the council will aspire to:
‣ Work collaboratively to contribute to the Councils corporate objectives;
‣ Recognise the value of existing provision and focus on continued improvement;
‣ Work inclusively involving all stakeholders, clients and service providers
‣ Provide clear and transparent governance arrangements, policies and procedures,
service standards, centralised systems that support local service delivery,
evidence, monitoring evaluation and review procedures;
‣ Provide high quality, accessible and equitable and inclusive services
‣ See the potential in people, not just the problems.
4.4.9 The strategic objectives are:
‣ Consolidating and extending the prevention of homelessness to reduce demand
for crisis accommodation;
‣ Increasing the supply of housing options available to prevent homelessness;
‣ Increasing the amount and quality of housing for those at risk of homelessness;
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