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Agenda item
Temporary Accommodation Update
Minutes:
Andrew Palmer, Assistant Director, Housing and Built Environment presented a report to update Cabinet on progress in acquiring temporary accommodation units, using the capital budget set aside in October 2018. To seek delegated authority from Cabinet to mobilise the Accessing the Private Rented Sector, Flexible Homelessness Support Grant top-up and Homelessness Prevention Grant top up a project funded by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local
Andrew Palmer, Assistant Director, Housing and Built Environment spoke on the report to the councillors. The private rented sector has become more expensive and supply of accommodation in the social sector is increasingly limited. As a more households were being placed in temporary housing by the council and for longer periods, consequently costs had risen. Accommodating larger families in in B&B’s is was particularly challenging and expensive. The council was taking a number of measures to relieve the pressure including directly purchasing housing specifically to meet this demand.
Michael Courts, Strategic Housing and Projects Manager added that the council has also secured more funding for a team of tenancy sustainment officers. This will help with people who are accessing mainstream housing services having a poor tenancy sustainment history. A key element of this project is accessing the private rented sector and improving access to accommodation as well as managing the temporary accommodation the council already owns more effectively.
Councillors agreed the importance of acquiring more homes for this purpose as it would save the council money as well as helping people to get their lives back on track. It is important to move people out of Temporary accommodation and into permanent accommodation. Councillors also asked if people were having difficulty find accommodation because landlords are selling their properties or just because there are fewer properties on the market.
Mr Palmer advised that there was a regular turnover of private stock as owners bought and sold portfolios Section 21 notices were a common reason for loss of accommodation; although not the only reason
Officers explained that the landlord guarantee scheme was being introduced to help people access private rented sector accommodation
Councillors raised the issue of some landlords refusing to accept guarantors and whether this would affect the council’s efforts in finding people accommodation. They were told that the council has indications from some letting agencies that that they would be prepared to accept guarantees offered by the Council. Councillors discussed how the council is looking at wrap-around schemes to support beyond the guarantor and make landlords more willing to take on the risk of renting to these people. Councillors discussed how serviced accommodations (such as air B&B) are affecting the market and asked if the council had any figures around this. It was agreed that officers would take this away and further consider the matter...
Councillor Batsford proposed approval of the recommendations of the Assistant Director’s report. This was seconded by Councillor Lee.
RESOLVED (Unanimous) that:
1. For Cabinet to acknowledge progress in acquiring temporary accommodation
2. For Cabinet to authorise expenditure of £372,500 from the accessing the private rented sector grant
3. For Cabinet to authorities expenditure of £225,000 from the Homelessness Prevention and Flexible Homelessness Support Grant top ups for the interventions set out in the report
4. For Cabinet to delegate authority to the Assistant Director, Housing and Built Environment, in consultation the Lead Member for Housing and Leisure to mobilise the projects
Reasons for Recommendations:
There has been a significant increase in the number of households living in temporary accommodation in Hastings, as well as the amount of time people spend living there.
This trend has both a financial implications for the council and impacts the quality of life of people living in temporary accommodation
Supporting documents:
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