Members to indicate whether they will be declaring any interests under the Code of Conduct

 

Members making a declaration of interest at a meeting of a Committee or Council are required to disclose the existence and nature of that interest. This requirement is not discharged by merely declaring a personal interest without further explanation.

 

 

 

A copy of the call-in request is attached at Appendix 1. (PDF, 44k)

 

At a meeting of the Community Services & Licensing Committee held on 24 July 2008, the Housing Services Manager submitted a report which sought Members' approval for a single Homelessness Strategy for North Yorkshire and an associated local Action Plan specific to Ryedale. The draft minute is set out below:

 

The Homelessness Act 2002 required Local Housing Authorities to have Homelessness Strategies in place. The purpose of these strategies was to outline the ways in which Councils and their partners work together to prevent homelessness and to provide housing and support for the homeless.

 

Each individual district in North Yorkshire produced their own separate Homelessness Strategies in 2003, however the Government required that all these strategies be updated and replaced by 31 July 2008. Following the recommendations of the Audit Commission and the North Yorkshire Strategic Housing Board individual strategies had since been replaced by a single over-arching strategy within individual action plans to reflect the detailed actions and initiatives that were developed at district level in order to achieve the sub-regional objectives.

 

The Housing Services Manager reported that the development of a Single Homelessness Strategy for North Yorkshire was part of the drive towards better joint working with North Yorkshire generally. It would ensure a consistent approach across the County, the sharing of best practice and the provision of preventative and reactive services for homeless people.