A PUBLIC consultation on how the borough should tackle homelessness has begun and will run until March 23.

West Devon Borough Council is asking for local views on plans to prevent and relieve homelessness as it reviews its Homelessness Strategy.

A preliminary consultation with councillors took place at the start of 2022 to discuss ways to effectively prevent and relieve homelessness in the area.

Working with partners to put the necessary support in place to prevent people from becoming homeless remains a significant focus for the borough council. The plans also highlight the need to ensure there are enough of the right sort of homes available to meet the diverse needs of people at risk of homelessness.

The Homelessness Strategy public consultation will give local people the opportunity to share their views. This will mean the council can be confident the proposed plans cover the right priorities and will meet the needs of everyone in the community.

A spokesperson for West Devon Borough Council said: ‘When you say “homeless” many of us automatically think about people sleeping rough. However, a great many people access our services because they are unable to afford their current home or have been ask to leave through no fault of their own.

Many of these people then struggle to find a home that is affordable for them and face the prospect of having nowhere to go. The council is working to increase the number of properties locally available at below market rate to ease this issue.

“We work extensively with people who are rough sleeping or sofa surfing and at risk of rough sleeping. Working with multiple agencies, this approach finds a suitable long-term home for someone who is homeless. It also significantly increases their chances of keeping the accommodation and making positive life choices.

While not everyone chooses to take up this offer, the mix of intensive support, outreach work and open offer of accommodation has resulted in low numbers of people sleeping rough in the borough. At our last rough sleeper count in November 2021, we were pleased to once again find no one sleeping rough.

‘Whether you have been homeless, at risk of homelessness or have concerns for friends or family who may be at risk, please do spend a few minutes to share your views in our consultation. We want to make sure every view is heard and represented so our plans meet local needs and so no one finds themselves without a roof over their heads.’

More details on the proposals and a quick questionnaire where you can share your views can now be found at www.westdevon.gov.uk/homelessness-strategy-2022

It is anticipated that a final draft of the strategy will be presented in early Spring, with formal adoption from April 2022.