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Decision details

Consideration of Local Authority Housing Fund

Decision Maker: Executive, Council

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

Councillor Geoff Saul, Executive Member for Housing and Social Welfare, introduced the report, which was to consider whether to support an application to the Local Authority Housing Fund and to sign the associated Memorandum of Understanding.

Councillor Saul gave an overview of the scheme which aims to support local authorities who are facing challenges in providing move on and settled accommodation for Afghan and Ukraine families. The scheme, which Councillor Saul stated was a very positive one, also aimed to relieve pressures on short term accommodation and bridging hotels with a longer term of objective to see the housing being used for more general affordable purposes.

Councillor Saul proposed to agree the recommendations to support an application to the Local Authority Housing Fund and to sign the associated Memorandum of Understanding. This was seconded by Councillor Andy Graham, was voted on and was agreed unanimously by the Executive.

Executive Resolved to:

  1. Approve that an application to the Housing Support Fund be made;
  2. Authorise the Chief Executive to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (attached at Annex B);
  3. Agree that further due diligence be conducted to determine the most appropriate delivery mechanism for the Council and a further report be brought back to the Executive to consider this;
  4. Recommend to Council to allocate Capital Funding of £2m to match fund the capital grant payable by Department for Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government in the event of a direct acquisition approach;
  5. Recommend to Council to allocate Section 106 funding to support the business case up to a maximum of £40,000 per unit to gap fund the scheme to deliver affordable rents in the event of a direct acquisition approach.

Publication date: 10/02/2023

Date of decision: 08/02/2023

Decided at meeting: 08/02/2023 - Executive

Effective from: 18/02/2023

Accompanying Documents: