Agenda item

This report seeks approval to the implementation of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Council in order to deliver up to 42 homes for temporary accommodation and refugee resettlement and relocation schemes through Round 3 of the Local Authority Housing Fund.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)        To approve the proposed acquisition of up to 42 properties using the allocated Local Authority Housing Fund.

(2)    To approve the capital budget of £25,803,000 as set out in section 6.1 of the report to supplement the grant and cover the acquisition programme.

(3)        To delegate to the Director of Property and Assets the authority to agree the terms of any legal documents and enter into contracts to acquire an interest in the properties so as to give effect to this decision.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 21 October 2024

Councillor Tatler (Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Growth) introduced a report seeking approval to the implementation of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Council in order to deliver up to 42 homes for temporary accommodation and refugee resettlement and relocation schemes through Round 3 of the Local Authority Housing Fund.

In presenting the report, Cabinet recognised that whilst emergency and temporary accommodation could never be a long-term solution to tackling the homelessness crisis it remained one of the fundamental issues needing to be addressed in order to support residents in housing need move across housing types and tenures as their circumstances changed and in acting as an initial safety net.  Whilst highlighting the efforts being made in Brent to reduce the number of residents being placed in Temporary Accommodation (TA), the limited supply and high cost involved in continuing to source good quality TA to address the ongoing level of demand continued to threaten the financial stability of not only Brent but local authorities across London.  Although recognising the need for a longer-term solution, the Council was working hard to increase its supply of TA to enable residents to be moved out of the most expensive emergency provision in B&B and hotels in order to reduce the financial pressures being experienced whilst also seeking to improve the quality of life for those residents in need of support.

As part of this approach and the Council’s close working arrangement with the new government, the report presented an opportunity available to utilise external grant funding of £10.5m being made available through the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) to move at pace in seeking to tackle the crisis in supply of affordable housing.  In noting this would also require a capital match funding contribution to be provided by the Council, it was felt this demonstrated what could be achieved by the Council in seeking to address the housing crisis, when empowered with the necessary resources given the funding provided would be used to purchase 42 street level properties for Temporary Accommodation and resettlement purposes.

Whilst noting this would represent a small start in relation to addressing the overall numbers of households currently placed in TA and on the housing needs waiting list members were keen to welcome the opportunity provided to support the Council in seeking to increase the supply of affordable housing as a means of tackling homelessness, alleviating costs associated with the use of Temporary Accommodation (TA) and supporting the refuges and resettlement programme.  Members were also keen to recognise the impact on those residents in housing need who it would be possible to support as a result, with 22 of the properties to be sourced being above 3-bed in size, recognising the acute demand for larger family sized accommodation.

On this basis and in support of the approach outlined within the report Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)       To approve the proposed acquisition of up to 42 properties using the allocated Local Authority Housing Fund.

(2)    To approve the capital budget of £25,803,000 as set out in section 6.1 of the report to supplement the grant and cover the acquisition programme.

(3)       To delegate to the Director of Property and Assets the authority to agree the terms of any legal documents and enter into contracts to acquire an interest in the properties so as to give effect to this decision.