Issue - meetings

REPORT OF SERVICE DIRECTOR – HOUSING & ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

To review the additional in-year allocation of £199.9k of Homeless Prevention Grant for 2023/24, to support Ukrainian households and to help meet wider homelessness pressures.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Approved the allocation £192k of HPG in order to fund the salary budget shortfall in the housing team to March 2027.

(2)   Authorised the remaining amount (of £7.9k) to be used to offset the cost of hotel placements, which are anticipated to grow further over the winter months.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: The recommendations in this report support the Council’s response to the increasing volume and complexity of housing approaches, whilst also meeting the requirements of DLUHC’s ringfenced use of the funding.

Audio recording – 8 minutes 52 seconds

Councillor, Sean Prendergast, as Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Health, presented the report entitled ‘Allocation of (Additional) Homelessness Prevention Grant’ and advised that:

·       The calculations had changed in relation to the original recommendations with revised inflation figures.

·       The allocation of the grant must be spent this financial year.

·       The revised plan was to use the additional grant to finance core housing activity in 2023-24, such as staff salaries.

·       This report highlighted the increasing pressure on the housing team, which would only increase in future years.

Councillor Sean Prendergast expressed his thanks to the officers in the housing team who worked incredibly hard to assist vulnerable people in the community.

Councillor Sean Prendergast proposed, and Councillor Alistair Willoughby seconded, and following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Approved the allocation of a £192k of HPG in order to fund the salary budget shortfall in the housing team to March 2027.

(2)   Authorised the remaining amount (of £7.9k) to be used to offset the cost of hotel placements, which are anticipated to grow further over the winter months.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: The recommendations in this report support the Council’s response to the increasing volume and complexity of housing approaches, whilst also meeting the requirements of DLUHC’s ringfenced use of the funding.