Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Consultation
This consultation has now closed.
Thank you to everyone who took part. All the feedback received will be analysed and we will share a summary of the findings here in January 2025.
The findings will be discussed by the Council’s Places Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January 2025 and at Cabinet in March 2025, to help inform their decisions on the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.
Information about these meetings, as it becomes available, can be found on the Council’s website:
- Details for Places Overview and Scrutiny
- Details for Cabinet
We are developing a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy that sets a vision for the Council and its partners to work together to end homelessness and rough sleeping in the borough.
The Council's last Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy ran from 2020 - 2025 and our new strategy will take us forward running from 2025 - 2030.
How we developed the new strategy
We developed our new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy using evidence from the Homelessness Review, engagement with the Homelessness Reduction Board, and key partners.
Information gathered for the Homelessness Review has provided the evidence base to support the Council in understanding the needs of households who are experiencing homelessness. The review has identified the nature and availability of support, what services are currently being provided, and identified what resources are available, to prevent and tackle homelessness. Key trends have been analysed to assess the extent of homelessness in the future.
The findings from the review have been included in a four-week engagement period to ensure that partners and stakeholders agreed the review represented an accurate reflection of homelessness in the borough. We used the feedback from this engagement and the evidence from the Homelessness Review to help us develop the vision and key priorities for the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy that we are now consulting on.
Share your views
Paper copies or alternative formats of the survey are available on request using the contact details below:
Other ways to take part
Write to: Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Engagement, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Housing Strategy, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA
Email: housingstrategy@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk(External link)
Telephone: 0300 123 8 123 to speak to someone in the Housing Strategy, team, and quote: ‘Housing Strategy Consultation'
Paper copies of this consultation are available in libraries and on request using the contact details above. Alternative formats are also available on request.
Drop-in sessions
There will be drop-in sessions taking place in Chester, Ellesmere Port and Winsford where you can come and talk to us about the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.
- Harold Tomlins Centre, 24 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD: 9am - 10:30am, 4 November 2024
- Crossroads community hub, 125 Boughton, Chester CH3 5BH: 1pm - 2pm, 4 November 2024
Further details will be available soon.
If you would like to be kept informed about the drop-in sessions, please contact us by emailing housingstrategy@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
The consultation will close on 10 November 2024.
Key priorities
The strategy seeks to set out a partnership approach to ending homelessness and rough sleeping in Cheshire West and Chester. The main focus of our strategy will be to prevent homelessness in the first place and to help those who experience homelessness to build better futures.
There are three priorities in the draft strategy:
- Prevent homelessness through early intervention and personalised housing options.
- End rough sleeping and support those with complex needs.
- Develop and improve access to a range of settled, supported and temporary accommodation options.
Within the draft strategy for each priority, there is further detail setting out what we want to achieve and how we will make a difference.
What happens next
Your views are really important and what you tell us will be used to help shape the Council's new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy. Once the consultation is closed your feedback will be used to refine the draft strategy which will then be shared with the Council's Cabinet in March 2025.
Privacy Notice
If you would like to know more about how we use and store the information you give us, you can visit our privacy notice page.
Accessibility
Council information is also available in audio, braille, large print or other formats. If you would like a copy in a different format, in another language or require a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, please contact us:
- Email: equalities@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
- Telephone: 0300 123 8 123
- Textphone (BT Text Direct): 18001 01606 275757