Big promise made to tackle South Tyneside homelessness as leaders discuss trauma and really complex issues

Councillors also noted such issues can lead to a "very traumatic time for families" and stressed work will be taking place across the local authority on the "really complex issues" which are often linked to it.

It comes after South Tyneside Council bosses reviewed homelessness and rough sleeping in the borough from 2019 to 2024.

This is ahead of a public consultation taking place before the local authority formulates its next Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.

The report on the issue went before the latest meeting of the local authority's ruling Labour cabinet (on Wednesday, November 27), after previously going to the housing and environment scrutiny committee in October.

Councillor Jim Foreman, cabinet member for housing and community safety, outlined how the council "recorded an increase in presentations for housing and homelessness advice by an average of 9% per year over the five-year review period".

It increased from 2,280 households in 2019/20 to 3,093 presentations in 2023/24. However, he noted overall they have seen a decline in homelessness applications being taken, with a 20% reduction from 2019/20 to 2023/24.

Councillor Ruth Berkley, cabinet member for adults, health and independence, said she "really welcomed" the review.

She added: "I think some of the statistics are alarming but I also think the review puts in place measures to ensure that it's minimised as much as possible. To me, I think that's a really positive message from the council as well around what is a very traumatic time for families.”

Cllr Foreman responded by stressing homelessness and rough sleeping "is a cross-portfolio issue" and he is "looking forward" to seeing what joint working can be done "to help these people".

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He added: "It's not just a housing issue, many, many people come to us with really complex issues which need to be tackled as well as the housing element of it.”

Councillors heard the main cause of homelessness across the five-year period was family members asking the individual to leave, accounting for 1,524 applications, equating to 22.91%.

This is followed by households presenting due to their private landlord issuing them with a notice to terminate their tenancy, which led to 13.4% and 889 of the applications.

Figures presented at the meeting noted interim housing had been offered in 9.3% of all cases, totalling 619 placements. This "increased sharply in 2023/24" and rose 420% over the five-year review period.

Cllr Foreman added: "This has significant financial implications as we have seen from other local authorities as well as our own."

The lead member for housing and community safety added the council has "continued to commit resources" to ensure that "rough sleeping is rare, brief and non-recurring".

In total four individuals were found sleeping rough during the autumn 2023 snapshot count, which was the same as the previous year and 69% lower than the peak figure recorded in 2012.

Cllr Foreman said: "South Tyneside does not have an entrenched rough sleeper problem, however, we do have a number of individuals that fall in and out of services and accommodation and have slept rough several times.”