Agenda item

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – HOUSING AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

To consider the allocation of £73k of ringfenced MHCLG Homelessness Prevention Grant to Herts County Council to match fund the two-year pilot of Druglink’s Supported Housing Scheme for Women.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet supported the allocation of £73k of ring fenced MHCLG Homelessness Prevention Grant to HCC to match fund the two-year pilot of Druglink’s Supported Housing Scheme for Women.

REASON FOR DECISION: This proposal has been made in order to enable the two-year pilot to go ahead.

The Chair invited Councillor Matt Barnes, as Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to present the referral on this item. Councillor Barnes advised that:

·       An allocation of £73k was required to match fund a commitment from Hertfordshire County Council.

·       This scheme would assist homeless women who have support needs, such as suffering from domestic abuse, mental health issues and substance abuse.

·       It was difficult at this stage to predict how many women would benefit from this scheme.

·       Druglink had the performance requirements on which to monitor the success of this trial and although the actual address would be restricted, relevant Ward Members would be informed of the scheme’s presence in their area.

Councillor Dave Winstanley as Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Health, presented the report entitled ‘Supported Housing Scheme for Women’ and advised that:

·       This scheme would help address the growing need for housing by single homeless women in North Hertfordshire.

·       This was a two-year pilot which would be run in partnership by Hertfordshire County Council and Druglink, which was a Hertfordshire based substance misuse charity.

·       In December 2022 Cabinet had previously agreed funding of £73k of Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) ring fenced Homeless Prevention Grant (HPG) to support a similar scheme, which had fallen through.

·       This proposal would offer a tailored safe space for women to empower them to gain confidence and independence and to develop skills to return to the community.

·       This initiative would not only meet a critical local need but would support the commitment of the Council to tackle domestic violence in line with the White Ribbon accreditation.

The following Members asked questions:

·       Councillor Mick Debenham

·       Councillor Dave Winstanley

·       Councillor Tamsin Thomas

In response to questions, the Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Health advised that:

·       Residency of a unit would be offered to a suitable candidate from outside of the district if required.

·       It was hoped to be able to secure funding from another grant at the end of the two-year pilot to continue with this scheme it if was a success.

·       This scheme would be run from a single building in the district which would be administered by Druglink, a very experienced charity which offered the required services.

In response to questions, the Strategic Housing Manager advised that:

·       There could be a proportion of residents sent from outside the district to escape violent domestic situations.

·       Similarly, residents from North Hertfordshire benefited from being housed outside of the district when required.

·       The Council worked in conjunction with SADA Domestic Abuse Service to manage demands for housing.

·       It was difficult to estimate the turnaround of the 6 units until the scheme was up and running as the circumstances for each resident would vary.

·       Costs associated with this scheme would be similar to costs associated with the previous scheme which had fallen through.

·       If the scheme was successful, after the end of the two-year pilot, all parties would consider funding options nearer the time.

·       Druglink were very experienced and looked at a broad spectrum of services, providing support for needs such as poor mental health, domestic abuse and substance misuse.

·       Meeting the support needs of survivors of domestic abuse was a key priority for the Council.

·       The Council would be supporting Hertfordshire County Council with a 50/50 stake in the two-year pilot.

·       This scheme would be run in a building already owned by HCC and the service would be closely monitored.

·       The police would be notified once the scheme was approved in line with safeguarding procedures.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·       Councillor Dave Winstanley

·       Councillor Val Bryant

·       Councillor Amy Allen

Points raised during the debate included:

·       This was a valuable service to provide in the district.

·       Members were pleased to be able to support this scheme.

Councillor Amy Allen proposed and Councillor Tamsin Thomas seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet supported the allocation of £73k of ring fenced MHCLG Homelessness Prevention Grant to HCC to match fund the two-year pilot of Druglink’s Supported Housing Scheme for Women.

REASON FOR DECISION: This proposal has been made in order to enable the two-year pilot to go ahead.