Issue - meetings

REPORT OF SERVICE DIRECTOR – HOUSING & ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

To review the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to submit a bid to its Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council.

RESOLVED:

(1)   That Cabinet noted the content of the report and subject to a site being identified approved the submission of a bid under the SHAP programme.

(2)   That Cabinet delegated to the Service Director of Housing & Environmental Health and the Service Director Resources the preparation and submission of the bid in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing & Environmental Health and the Executive Member for Finance & IT.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: There is an urgent need for high quality, accommodation-based support services for single homeless people in the district. Adopting the recommendations at 2.1 and 2.2 would allow the Council to pursue a funding opportunity which if successful, would enable the delivery of a valuable additional resource for the district, benefiting vulnerable young people at risk of rough sleeping.

Audio recording – 32:25

Councillor Sean Prendergast, as Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Health, presented the report entitled ‘DLUHC’s Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme’ and advised that:

·       This programme would provide a much needed service for vulnerable people with complex needs.

·       It was an opportunity to meet the funding with an experienced provider in OneYMCA.

·       This administration had a strong track record on this, and this gave the chance to continue this work.

·       An update had been received regarding 1.3 of the report and a strong option had been identified and, with finer details to be agreed, progress was looking positive.

In response to a question from Councillor Elizabeth Dennis, Councillor Prendergast advised that the Council would always look to fund this scheme and would continue to work with OneYMCA. The finer details of future funding would need to be provided at a later stage.

During the debate, Councillor Ian Albert noted that it was critical that the Service Director – Resources and the Executive Member for Finance and IT to be involved in the process, as well as the currently listed Service Director and Executive Member. This was proposed as an amendment by Councillor Albert and seconded by Councillor Prendergast.

Having been proposed by Councillor Sean Prendergast and seconded by Councillor Alistair Willoughby, the amended motion was put to a vote and it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)   That Cabinet noted the content of the report and subject to a site being identified approved the submission of a bid under the SHAP programme.

(2)   That Cabinet delegated to the Service Director of Housing & Environmental Health and the Service Director Resources the preparation and submission of the bid in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing & Environmental Health and the Executive Member for Finance & IT.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: There is an urgent need for high quality, accommodation-based support services for single homeless people in the district. Adopting the recommendations at 2.1 and 2.2 would allow the Council to pursue a funding opportunity which if successful, would enable the delivery of a valuable additional resource for the district, benefiting vulnerable young people at risk of rough sleeping.