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Decision details
Flexible Homelessness Support Grant
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Decisions:
The Assistant Director, Housing and Built Environment presented a report to advise members of spend against the council’s flexible homelessness support grant (FHSG) allocation in 2018/19 and set our planned expenditure from the grant in 2019/20.
Homelessness applications have remained constant but the length of stay in temporary accommodation has increased in Hastings due to a rise in costs in the private rented sector and a lack of supply in the social rented sector.
It was noted that the Council has had to allocate funds in order to plug gaps from funding streams which are no longer available, and that, although the numbers of homeless in Hastings has remained stable over the past three years the length of stay in temporary accommodation has increased significantly.
Concerns were raised over the increased use of Section 21 notices and it is highlighted that the majority of Section 21 notices issued in Hastings are no fault notices.
There is a need to improve housing support especially for those with issues such as mental health conditions. It is noted that many people are only two pay checks away from homelessness and not enough vulnerable people in Hastings are registering as homeless in order to receive support.
Councillor Batsford proposed approval of the recommendations of the Assistant Director’s report. This was seconded by Councillor Rogers.
RESOLVED (Unanimously) that:
1. That the flexible homelessness support grant for 2019/20 is allocated as set out in the report.
2. That delegated authority is given to the Assistant Director, Housing and Built Environment, in consultation with the Assistant Director, Financial Services and Revenues and the Lead Member for Housing and Leisure to approve variations to the budget which might occur in response to legislative changes.
The reason for this decision was:
Flexible Homelessness Support Grant (FHSG) is paid to the council by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The grant is for a fixed one-year period, and is ring-fenced for temporary accommodation and homelessness prevention activities.
Report author: Andrew Palmer
Publication date: 10/04/2019
Date of decision: 04/02/2019
Decided at meeting: 04/02/2019 - Cabinet
Effective from: 07/02/2019
Accompanying Documents:
- Flexible Homelessness Support Grant
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