The cost of living has led to a growing number of homeless individuals with complex and multiple needs approaching the councils for help. The soaring cost of providing temporary housing has also left the councils facing increasing funding and resource constraints. 

The councils’ vision for the new five-year strategy is to move beyond managing homelessness reactively, by developing strategies to proactively prevent it by working with partners, minimise its duration, and break cycles of re-occurrence.

Plans to develop a stronger multi-agency response to homelessness, to significantly reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation and to help people move forward from homelessness are highlighted as key priorities for the councils in the strategy.

The draft strategy will be reviewed by the councils’ Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) at 6.30pm on Thursday 4 September  at The Shoreham Centre and residents are being encouraged to submit questions to JOSC to be answered on the night.

This is ahead of a formal consultation on the draft strategy that will launch on Friday 5th September.

The committee, which is an elected watchdog comprising councillors from across Adur and Worthing, will also be discussing a report into Adur Homes’ readiness to implement new national legislation for dealing with hazards in social housing.

The new law, named Awaab’s Law after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale in December 2020, becomes effective from Monday 27th October 2025 for damp and mould cases and for other hazards on a phased basis over the next two years.

Cllr Lee Cowen, Adur's cabinet member for housing and citizen services, said: “By focussing on prevention and early intervention, this proactive strategy represents a fundamental shift in philosophy that will help people break the cycle of homelessness, move forward and sustain independence. This prudent financial strategy will also prevent further costs to the council down the line.”

Cllr Ödül Bozkurt, Worthing's cabinet member for housing and citizen services, said: “Outside pressures mean more people need help with homelessness at a time when the council’s finances and resources are increasingly stretched. As a council for the community, we welcome the opportunity for residents to have their say on our new draft strategy via the consultation as well as by asking us questions at the JOSC meeting.”

Residents can read the draft homelessness and rough sleeping strategy and Awaab’s Law report here: https://democracy.adur-worthing.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=163&MId=2157.

Questions can be submitted to JOSC by emailing [email protected] by midday on Monday 1st September.