A PLAN to change how housing the homeless works in Oxfordshire for the future is due to be discussed.

Oxford City Council is planning the future of a 'county-wide transformation of rough sleeping' which was agreed earlier this year.

The new strategy will see all the different councils in Oxfordshire working together on a housing-led approach to rough sleeping.

This is one of the first examples of its kind in the UK, and means that the authorities will aim to give people somewhere to live before helping them with other problems like drug misuse or mental illness.

The city council is now establishing its own 'Housing First' strategy to build on the aims of the new joined-up plan it will share with Oxfordshire County Council and other districts.

This will also build on the work of the 'Everyone In' scheme instigated at the start of lockdown, which saw hundreds of thousands of homeless people brought in off the streets in hotels, hostels and other accommodation so they could be socially distanced and avoid getting infected with Covid while rough sleeping.

In Oxford along, 350 people were accommodated as a result of the scheme, with 176 people successfully moving on to more permanent accommodation.

Oxford City Council's cabinet is due to meet at 6pm today to discuss the homelessness strategy.