A NEW policy aimed at tackling homelessness across the region is being drawn up by the five Gwent councils.

Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly councils are working together to launch the Gwent Homelessness Strategy 2018-2022.

The Welsh Government requires local authorities to adopt a homelessness strategy to be in place by the end of this year.

Ahead of forming the new policy, the five Gwent councils carried out a review of homelessness in the area.

The review found that social housing is becoming much harder to access in Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen, leading to increased reliance on private rented accommodation.

In Torfaen, users of homelessness services said relationship breakdowns or parents no longer willing to accommodate them were the most common reason for homelessness.

It was also found that 16 to 24-year-olds, single person households and males were "over-represented" when accessing homelessness services.

The council report on the review says: "Torfaen had the fourth highest use of foodbanks across Wales in 2017.

"Local authorities working with social and private landlords throughout Gwent is absolutely imperative, especially to prevent tenancies ending in the first place."

In the last year in Torfaen, 427 households were assisted by the council under a duty to prevent homelessness but only 246 were successfully prevented from becoming homeless.

Under the draft Gwent Homelessness Strategy - set to be discussed by Torfaen council's safer communities overview and scrutiny committee tomorrow - the number one priority is to help improve access to suitable and affordable housing.

Other priorities are to offer fast and effective advice and support, minimise homelessness and prevent it through early intervention and to ensure fair, equal and person-centred homeless services.

The report adds: "One of the greatest challenges for preventing homelessness and meeting the aims of the strategy is the lack of suitable affordable housing and adequate support for those with complex needs.

"More people are relying on assistance from the local authority to address their housing needs, whereas previously many were able to meet their housing needs through alternative routes.

"Accessing the private rented sector remains a challenge with high deposits and rents, making the sector unaffordable for many.

"House prices have placed owner occupation beyond the reach of many households and high mortgage costs has increased the risk of homelessness to those already on the property ladder."

The strategy is being drawn up after the Welsh Audit Office carried out a review of homelessness services in Wales following the publication of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

It was concluded in the review that "more needs to be done" by local authorities in Wales to prevent homelessness.

The five Gwent councils set up a working group to carry out the review, with Torfaen acting as the leading authority.