Issue - meetings

[Report of the Assistant Director for Commissioning. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal and the Cabinet Member for  Adults and Health]

Cabinet will be asked to approve a lease arrangement  in respect of 332 High Road, Tottenham. to create a single homelessness hub for the borough. The provision will create a bespoke single homelessness hub, providing both advice, support and information on a range of health, wellbeing and housing services and dedicated accommodation units for single homeless (and at risk of) people and rough sleepers.

This report, was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, and sought authority for the Council to take a lease on a property known as 332–334 High Road, Tottenham (“Property”) for use as a co-located Assessment Centre and Hub for single homeless people and those at risk of homelessness. The report recommended to Cabinet acquisition of a lease on a property that will both re-provide the supported housing Assessment Centre and create a unique Assessment and Referral Hub for Single Homeless People.

The Cabinet Member for Adults and Health highlighted that rough sleepers and single homeless people experience some of the worst outcomes of all  the borough’s residents and were more likely to be unemployed, unhealthy, unsafe and at risk of an early death. The proposals in the report aimed to change that outlook and to offer single homeless people and rough sleepers chances to get the right, flexible and person-centred support. By creating a safe and holistic environment for single homeless people in the Hub, the Council would be better able to ensure their accommodation, care and support needs can be met, to offer tools to rebuild valued lives and to reduce the stigma that being homeless brings.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal added that this was a good crosscutting portfolio initiative which deals with the multiple dynamics of a person finding themselves in the severe situation of being homeless. This was a significant issue in the borough and the current rough sleeping health and wellbeing  initiative in Finsbury Park being taken forward by the Council with Islington was commended for its targeted approach . The Cabinet Member was pleased to support this report.

In response to a question from Cllr Morris, the maximum units available was 21 but the hub would support more people to access other available accommodation and support.

RESOLVED

1.    To agree to the Council creating a new service ‘The Single Homelessness Hub’, which will perform the statutory homelessness function for single homeless adults aged 18 years and over, and offer a diverse range of wraparound services to achieve improved outcomes for rough sleepers, homeless women and young people, as well as others. The existing short-stay Assessment Centre service, provided by St Mungo’s Community Housing Association, will be relocated to the same building as the Hub.

2.    To agree to the Council taking two leases (of the ground and upper floors) of the property known as 332-334 High Road, Tottenham at a rent of up to £225,000 per annum for both leases and subject to the Head of Terms, (currently in negotiation) being agreed and subject to any planning permission for change of use; and

3.    To agree to give delegated authority to the Assistant Director of Economic Development and Growth after consultation with the Assistant Director Commissioning to agree the heads of terms and the final terms of the lease;

4.    To agree to the Council to then sublet the upper floors of accommodation in the Property to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75