At a meeting of Knowsley Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday, 24 September, councillors agreed a new strategy to address homelessness and rough sleeping in the borough.
It follows a review carried out to look at the causes of homelessness in Knowsley, as well as the numbers of people affected. This found that there is a higher than average rate of homelessness in Knowsley – although the number of people sleeping rough on its streets remains relatively low.
Councillors heard that the review – carried out by an independent housing consultancy – found that the main causes of local homelessness were the ending of private sector tenancies or the breakdown of informal living arrangements (such as staying with family or friends).
As a result of these findings, a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy has been drafted for Knowsley, with a focus on preventing people becoming homeless in the first place. It aims to provide more support for people at risk of being made homeless, as well as increasing the supply of suitable and affordable housing.
As part of this, existing data will be better used to identify those at risk, sooner. More will be done to ensure those individuals or families understand the help and support available to them. A working group will be established to ensure that when the Government’s upcoming Renter’s Rights Act is introduced, that this is fully embedded into local services.
In addition, the council will ensure people have easier access to financial support and advice, including budgeting and employability advice to increase their own financial resilience.
And, where homelessness is not avoided, the new strategy includes ways to support people and reduce the amount of time it takes to secure new accommodation. It suggests increasing hostel provision and emergency / ‘stepping stone’ places for rough sleepers in the borough and increasing the supply of temporary accommodation across the borough (reducing the need to place families in hotel or B&B accommodation for long periods of time).
There is also an ambition to provide more support for young and care experienced people who may be at higher risk of homelessness. The council plans to work with partners to develop new housing for young people who have experienced homelessness, based on the ‘Foyer’ model. This provides apartment style accommodation, with communal areas where activities and support are provided.
Cllr Tony Brennan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “We have a legal and a moral duty to look after people who find themselves homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.
“Everyone should have the security of a stable home, and thanks to the review that was recently undertaken, we now have a thorough understanding of some of the causes of homelessness locally – including who is most at risk, and the priorities that we need to focus on in order to tackle this issue effectively.
“This new strategy will significantly increase the amount of support we’re able to offer in both the short and long term, by increasing housing supply and thinking differently about how we best support the most vulnerable groups.”
The strategy will now be put before a meeting of the full council on 22 October 2025 for approval.