The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan 2027-2029 has now been agreed.
Published: Tuesday, 3rd November 2026
The Cherwell District Council Executive approved the plan last night (Monday 2 November) sets out a programme of work to prevent homelessness, tackle rough sleeping and help vulnerable residents secure and sustain long-term housing.
It supports the council’s existing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and aligns with the Government’s National Plan to End Homelessness 2025 and Rough Sleeping Programme 2026.
The plan focuses on three key priorities: identifying and addressing the causes of homelessness through early intervention, ensuring services are accessible to everyone who needs them, and delivering long-term housing solutions that help residents maintain stable tenancies and build resilience.
Councillor Ian Middleton, Cherwell District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Greener Communities, said: “By focusing on prevention, partnership working and sustainable housing solutions, the council aims to reduce homelessness across Cherwell and ensure that residents facing housing difficulties receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.
“The council will continue to work closely with district and county partners, housing providers, charities and people with lived experience of homelessness to improve services and deliver better outcomes for residents.
“Homelessness is rarely just about the absence of a roof over someone's head. It's often connected to wider challenges involving health, employment, relationships and personal circumstances. That's why prevention and joined-up support are so important.”
Working alongside partners across Oxfordshire, the council has set ambitious targets over the next two years, including reducing the number of households with children living in temporary accommodation, ending long-term rough sleeping, increasing successful homelessness prevention outcomes and eliminating the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families beyond the six-week statutory limit.
The action plan includes a range of measures to support residents before they reach crisis point. These include strengthening tenancy sustainment support, reviewing accommodation pathways, developing new supported housing schemes, expanding the Housing First programme and improving support for people leaving institutions such as prison, hospital care and the care system.
Among the commitments set out in the plan are reviews of temporary accommodation provision, greater engagement with private landlords, targeted support for vulnerable households and the introduction of a new performance framework to monitor progress.