Council approves new measures to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, to ensure that it is ‘rare, brief and unrepeated’
The Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee of Wirral Council has formally approved an ambitious new strategy to address homelessness and rough sleeping in the region.
Photo by Nick Fewings / Unsplash
The strategy is a direct response to mounting pressures on homelessness services, which have seen demand rise by 16% since 2020. Figures for repeat homelessness have risen by 14.4% in the same period. What’s more, national and regional projections suggest a further 8% rise in demand for the council’s homelessness services by 2041.
Among the significant challenges are a shortage of affordable housing, and continued reliance on B&Bs as temporary accommodation. Other major issues to be addressed are the impact of domestic abuse and the increasingly complex mental health needs of those seeking support.
What’s more, increases in demand are not expected to be seen evenly across different types of homelessness. While rough sleeping is projected to remain fairly stable, a rise is anticipated in rough sleeping, living in temporary accommodation like hostels or B&Bs, use of spaces like sheds or cars, and ‘sofa-surfing’ (staying with relatives or friends).
The new strategy has been devised to best address these multiple challenges. Key priorities include early intervention to stop homelessness before it even happens, and measures to make it easier for people to access and use the homelessness service.
The council also hopes to reduce reliance on B&B accommodation, while helping people to move on from such provision as quickly as possible. It aims to expand the provision of affordable housing, particularly one-bedroom homes, as well as accommodation options for homeless people who also have healthcare needs.
A new Homelessness Partnership Board will be established to deliver the strategy, working closely with the Liverpool City Region Homelessness Taskforce.
The new strategy also sets out progress already made by the council to address rising demand. This includes the success of using online tool AdviceAid, which provides up to date legal and local service information, and can be directly accessed by individuals in need.
The council has increased its stock of self-contained temporary accommodation from 23 to 48 units, and aims to have 68 units by the end of this year. A healthy homes scheme, funded by Public Health, works to prevent evictions through early intervention and landlord engagement, and prevented 80 such cases between January 2024 and March 2025.
Read the full Wirral Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy
Cllr Mark Skillicorn, Chair of Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee at Wirral Council, says: ‘This strategy is about delivering long-term change – preventing homelessness wherever possible, reducing our reliance on B&Bs, and ensuring that when people do need help, they receive it quickly and with dignity. Our commitment is to build a system that supports residents not just in moments of crisis, but in creating a stable future.
‘This strategy sets out a clear and determined vision for Wirral – that homelessness should be rare, brief and not repeated. We know the pressures on households are increasing, and demand for support has grown significantly in recent years. That is why this plan focuses on getting ahead of the crisis through early intervention, improving access to services, and expanding the range of safe, affordable housing options across the borough.
‘Wirral has already made important progress, from increasing self-contained temporary accommodation to introducing new digital tools that help people get support earlier. But we also know the challenges are becoming more complex, and we cannot tackle them alone. The establishment of a new Homelessness Partnership Board will strengthen the way we work with partners across health, social care, the voluntary sector and the wider Liverpool City Region.’
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