Southwark Council has agreed on an ambitious plan to tackle homelessness with a key focus on preventing people becoming homeless.
Latest figures show an escalating crisis in housing and homelessness with a record number of households in temporary accommodation, including 1 in 21 children in London, and rough sleeping rising across England.
Southwark Council’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030 seeks to address this crisis head-on by tackling the root causes of homelessness through data-led early intervention.
In 2024-2025 the council recorded a 72% success rate in preventing homelessness where early help was provided, demonstrating the need to maintain and invest further in early intervention.
The Council Assembly committed an additional £520,000 this year to strengthen homelessness prevention and support services in the delivery of the strategy’s action plan.
The plan will also see the reopening Bournemouth Road as a Homelessness Prevention Hub, with co-located key services to improve how they work together to identify early signs of housing instability, making them more accessible for people who need support.
The council is expanding its Housing First offer and will hold regular prevention forums with social housing providers and community partners to improve access and remove barriers to homelessness services.
In addition, over £11m from the Local Authority Housing Fund will be used to buy-back former council homes on estates. The Council is also looking at bringing some additional properties on the Aylesbury Estate back into use as temporary accommodation, whilst ensuring that plans for the estate’s renewal remain on track.
The council will also use its Rogue Landlord Taskforce to clamp down on housing fraud and hold Landlord Forums to incentivise affordable rents.
A key priority of the strategy is to work toward ending rough sleeping in the borough by providing a comprehensive housing and homelessness service as part of the Southwark 2030 plan to “Provide decent homes for all.”
Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development said:
“Every instance of homelessness is a tragedy. We believe everyone deserves to have a decent, safe affordable home.
"Early intervention and help is vital to creating the best possible outcomes for people at risk of homelessness and we’ve set out an ambitious five-year plan to tackle homelessness in Southwark.
"We will work tirelessly across the council, with housing associations, community partners, and with the government to do everything we can to reduce homelessness and help people at risk of homelessness.”