Agenda item

(Assistant Director – Housing Operations) To consider the attached report (FPM-022-2016/17).

The Assistant Director (Housing Operations), R Wilson, presented a report on the current homelessness situation in the District and on initiatives to seek to mitigate the increasing numbers, which included the appointment of 1 additional Homelessness Prevention Officer, amendments to the operation of the proposed rental loan scheme, the use of an external company to undertake Homelessness Reviews and funding for an external specialist services to provide advice to rough sleepers.

The Communities Select Committee had been asked by the Portfolio Holder for Housing to consider various mitigation strategies to deal with the current and  future increasing pressures of homelessness in the District, which had been summarised as follows:

·                     The Council’s Hostel’s were full most of the time;

·                     The Housing Association Leasing Direct Scheme had reduced to 15 units, which were fully occupied;

·                     Increasing figures of single homeless applicants within Bed and Breakfast(B&B);

·                     Lack of temporary accommodation leading up to 5 families being placed in B&B accommodation, which becomes unlawful after 6 weeks;

·                     The net cost to the Council’s General Fund had increased from £62,561 in 2013/14 to £114,273 in 2015/16;

·                      B&Bs were often full due to other authorities using the hotels as well;

·                     14 homeless families were currently placed within the Council’s own housing stock on non-secure tenancies until their cases were resolved and the likelihood was that this figure would rise;

·                     The Invest to Save fund for landlord deposits held by a third party had proven difficult to operate and had therefore not been able to be used;

·                     London Boroughs were placing their homeless applicants in privately rented  accommodation within the District and paying more generous cash incentives;

·                     The Homelessness Reduction Bill was expected to become law in 2017 placing additional duties on the Council to prevent and reduce homelessness; and

·                     The number of Statutory Homelessness Reviews was increasing the burden on senior officers.

In order to combat these increasing pressures on the homelessness services, a bid of £32,000 from CSB funding for the appointment of 1 FTE additional Grade 6 Homelessness Prevention Officer and £9,000 for external assistance with statutory homelessness reviews had been requested. In addition to this the Invest to Save funding of £90,000 would provide applicants with a rental loan for 4 weeks when securing accommodation in the private rented sector and/or a landlord deposit in accordance with LHA rates, which would be paid back on an interest free basis over 36 months. Furthermore a CSB Growth Bid of £2,500 per annum had been requested from 2017/18 to fund an external company to provide specialist services to rough sleepers.

The Chairman of the Communities Select Committee, Councillor Y Knight attended the meeting and advised that the Select Committee had fully supported the recommendations, in order to prevent homelessness and associated costs to the Council.

Councillor J M Whitehouse enquired about the use of Council flats above shops with separate access being made available and incorporated into the Council stock, that were not linked to the lease. R Wilson advised that he would discuss this with the Estates team.

Recommended:

1.         That CSB funding of £32,000 per annum for the appointment of 1 FTE additional Grade 6 Homelessness Prevention Officer be recommended to Cabinet for approval;

2.         That the existing Invest to Save Funding of £90,000 be used for providing applicants with a rental loan of 4 weeks rent to meet the costs of rent in advance when securing accommodation in the private rented sector and/or a landlord deposit in accordance with LHA rates (lodged with a third party by the landlord) with applicants being required to repay loans on an interest free basis over 36 months be recommended to Cabinet to for approval;

3.         That a CSB Growth Bid of £9,000 per annum from 2017/2018 to fund an external company to undertake Homelessness Reviews be recommended to Cabinet for approval; and

4.         That a CSB Growth Bid of £2,500 per annum from 2017/2018 to fund an external company to provide specialist services to rough sleepers be recommended to Cabinet for approval.

Resolved:

5.         That the Assistant Director (Housing Operations) would investigate the use of Council flats above shops that were linked to the lease, being made available for housing stock.

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure that the Council was prepared for the increased pressures due to homelessness and could respond fully to the requirements of the expected Homelessness Reduction Act in 2017.  

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

1.         Not to agree the appointment of 1 FTE additional Grade 6 Homelessness Prevention Officer in order to deal with the requirements of the expected Homelessness Reduction Act and the additional workload generally due to the increasing homelessness pressures.

2.         Not to agree the additional budget of £9,000 for external assistance with statutory homelessness reviews.

3.         Not to agree that the existing Invest to Save Funding of £90,000 now be used forproviding applicants with a rental loan of 4 weeks rent to meet the costs of rent in advance when securing accommodation in the private rented sector and/or a landlord deposit in accordance with LHA rates (lodged with a third party by the landlord) with applicants being required to repay loans on an interest free basis over an increased period of 36 months. Furthermore, to continue with the current unworkable arrangements whereby landlord deposits were provided and held by a third party on behalf of the Council.

4.         To agree a different use for the budget.