Issue - meetings

This report requests authority to acquire one-year leases of three hotels to provide emergency accommodation to homeless households. The report also requests authority to grant a lease for the use of Brent House for emergency accommodation for a limited period, subject to planning permission. arrangements are designed to assist the Council in meeting its statutory emergency housing obligations to homeless households at a time of increasing demand, and to minimise the cost of such provision.

i) that a lease be entered into for the three named hotels as set out in appendix 2 of the report for a term of 12 months;

ii) that authority to agree the final lease be delegated to the Operational Director, Property and Projects in consultation with the Director of Legal and Procurement;

iii) that an exemption from Contract Standing Order 86(b) be agreed to permit the direct award to Altwood Properties Ltd of 3 contracts for management services ancillary to the leases detailed in i) and ii) above;

iv) that a short-term lease be granted at a market rent to the successful tenderer or tenderers of the Brent House emergency accommodation scheme together with a related nominations agreement;

v) that authority be delegated to the Operational Director of Property and projects in conjunction with the Chief Finance Officer to agree the final contractual arrangements for the Brent House emergency accommodation scheme.

Introducing a report from the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Growth, Councillor McLennan (Lead Member Regeneration and Housing) explained that the Cabinet was asked to authorise the acquisition of one-year leases of three hotels to provide emergency accommodation to homeless households.  Members were also asked to consider authorising the granting of a lease for the use of Brent House for emergency accommodation for a limited period, subject to planning permission. The proposed arrangements were designed to assist the council in meeting its statutory emergency housing obligations to homeless households at a time of increasing demand, and to minimise the cost of such provision. It was emphasised that whilst the council was currently meeting its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation, the council was not in compliance with the statutory homeless order that required that families were not placed in private non-self-contained accommodation for more than six weeks. Under the proposed arrangements, the council would increase compliance with this rule as it did not apply to provision owned or managed by the local authority.

Councillor McLennan advised that a number of other projects were currently underway to reduce reliance on temporary accommodation and on Bed and Breakfast accommodation, including gaining access to an increased number of private rented properties outside Brent for discharge of the council’s housing duty where suitable, and the launch of a lettings agency by Brent Housing Partnership in early 2015 to increase access to private rented properties within the borough. Members’ attention was drawn to the financial implications of the proposals set out in the report.

With reference to the proposal regarding Brent House, Councillor Mashari (Lead Member Education and Skills) for sought assurance that the accommodation provided would be of a suitable quality and would meet health and safety requirements. Andy Donald (Strategic Director, Regeneration and Growth) advised that the quality and management of the accommodation would be specified by the council when determining the appropriate provider. The council would expect the quality to exceed that provided by Bed and Breakfast alternatives. Councillor McLennan added that the council sought to raise the standard of temporary accommodation provided and enhance the council’s control over that provision. Councillor Pavey expressed that it was a creative response to a difficult situation.

The Cabinet also had before them an appendix to the report which was not for publication as it contained the following categories of exempt information as specified in Schedule 12 of the Local Government (Access to Information Act) 1972:

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information);

Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

RESOLVED:

    (i)        that a lease be entered into for the three named hotels as set out in appendix 2 of the report for a term of 12 months;

   (ii)        that authority to agree the final lease be delegated to the Operational Director, Property and Projects in consultation with the Director of Legal and Procurement;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16