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Agenda item

Planned Expenditure of the Homelessness Prevention Grant 2022/23

Purpose

To consider the planned expenditure of the Homelessness Prevention Grant for 2022/23.

 

Recommendation

It is recommended that Cabinet:

a)    Approves the expenditure detailed within paragraphs 2.1 to 2.10 of this report;

b)    Approves the delegation of any amendments to these allocations to the Housing Manager in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness and the Chief Finance Officer subject to compliance with the ring fenced grant conditions; and

c)    Approves the delegation of any other uplifts or grants that may be given over the financial year to contain Covid outbreaks or address increased demands on the Housing Service be given to the Housing Manager  in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness and Chief Finance Officer subject to compliance with the ring fenced grant conditions as set out in 3.1 to 3.5.

Minutes:

Members received a report from the Group Manager for Resident Services which asked them to consider the planned expenditure of the Homelessness Prevention Grant for 2022/23.

 

The report advised that the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Local Communities (DLUHC) increased the level of funding allocated to homelessness services in 2021/22 and this had continued into 2022/23.  This included an additional small uplift to ensure that local authorities were able to meet any new burdens following the implementation of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

 

The funding allocated to West Oxfordshire District Council for 2022/23 was £253,328 plus the Domestic Abuse New Burdens uplift of £6,828, giving a total of £260,156.  The DLUHC had set out its expectations on how this fund was to be spent in a letter to Chief Executives dated 21st December 2021. A copy of this was attached at Annex A to the report.

Section 2.2 of the report outlined how the Council proposed to meet the expectation set by DLUHC and further detail on each area was provided in paragraphs 2.3 to 2.10. 

Members were asked to approve the expenditure, along with the delegation of any amendments to the allocations, further uplifts or grants to the Housing Manager, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness and the Chief Finance Officer. 

There were no alternative options considered as the allocation was ring fenced to specific outcomes, however, Members may want to consider other options that had not been referred to within the report

 

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, Councillor Davies, introduced the report and signposted members to paragraph 2.2 of the report which outlined where the money would be spent.  She reiterated the importance of flexibility when implementing the grants, to enable the funds to reach those in need.  Councillor Davies therefore proposed the recommendations as laid out and this was seconded by Councillor Harvey.

 

Councillor Enright addressed the meeting and applauded the progress made in this area over the past three to four years.  He expressed his thanks to Councillor Davies and the officers involved.

 

Following a question from Councillor Cooper, the Business Manager for Operational Services explained that the allocation of funding displayed in Annex A differed from area to area as a result of the different demographics.  The Chief Executive added that this criteria was set by Government and was included in the letter from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Local Communities.

 

Councillor Graham added his support to the document and asked that the issue of sustainability be brought back to the attention of the minister responsible.  The Leader agreed to put the issue back on his radar.

 

Having read the report and having heard from the Members present, Cabinet

 

Resolved that

 

a)    the expenditure detailed within paragraphs 2.1 to 2.10 of this report, is approved

b)    the delegation of any amendments to these allocations to the Housing Manager, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness and the Chief Finance Officer, is approved, subject to compliance with the ring fenced grant conditions; and

c)    the delegation of any other uplifts or grants that may be given over the financial year to contain Covid outbreaks or address increased demands on the Housing Service be given to the Housing Manager, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness and Chief Finance Officer, is approved, subject to compliance with the ring fenced grant conditions as set out in 3.1 to 3.5.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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