A pioneering strategy that has helped hundreds of people find a safe and secure place to live, supported others to keep their homes and kept levels of rough sleeping consistently low in Basingstoke and Deane is set to be updated.

The achievements under Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2023 to 2027 were highlighted at its Resident Services Committee last week, when councillors agreed to refresh the action plan.

Since its launch, the ambitious strategy has guided local efforts to help people avoid homelessness, find a place to live and access the housing support they need.

The unique Basingstoke and Deane Social Inclusion Partnership is at the heart of this work, bringing together organisations across the public, voluntary, health and housing sectors to take a joined-up approach to helping people who need it most.

Significant achievements in the last 12 months alone include:

• helping 93% of families who needed support to avoid going into a bed and breakfast, saving up to £250,000 and continuing nil use for 16 and 17-year-olds;

• continuing to meet government homelessness targets, with no homeless families with children occupying bed and breakfast accommodation for longer than six weeks;

• the council's reaccreditation by the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance, the UK's leading specialist domestic abuse partnership, recognising its consistently high standards of support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse;

• taking a major step to drive up support standards for vulnerable people after work started last month to refurbish May Place House in Basingstoke and transform it into more modern emergency homelessness accommodation;

• keeping levels of rough sleeping consistently low through initiatives including the Night Light Winter Shelter, which served 643 hot meals and provided emergency accommodation for people sleeping rough during the colder months;

• opening the door to home ownership for more than 70 residents through tailored advice at a low-cost home ownership event held at the council offices in July; and,

• increasing the supply of affordable homes available to rent at below-market rates, including 47 new four and five-bedroom homes to help meet demand from larger families.

Now, that strategy is being refreshed so it continues to guide the partners' support into the future.