Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Placemaking and Housing. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing, Private Renters and Planning

This report recommends accepting grant from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities through the Local Authority Housing Fund – second funding round (‘LAHF R2’).

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Private Renters and Planning introduced the report which sought agreement to accepting grant of capital allocation of £7,644,000 from the DLUHC LAHF2 programme that has been awarded to support an acquisition programme of up to 30 homes.

The Cabinet Member continued to outline the benefits of the grant funding which would support delivery of up to 30 new homes for Afghan families which would help to give a new start to 30 families. These additional homes would free up temporary and emergency accommodation, helping ease wider homelessness pressures.

 Further to considering exempt information at item 30,

RESOLVED:

1. In accordance with Contract Standing Order 17.1 and Contract Standing Order 9.07.1(d), Cabinet approves the acceptance of capital grant from DLUHC LAHF2 funding, the terms of which are summarised below in part 6.
2. To delegate authority to agree the final grant documentation and contracts to the Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration, after consultation with the Director of Finance and the Head of Legal and Corporate Governance (Monitoring Officer).
3. To delegate authority to agree further tranches of the grant funding to the Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration, after consultation with the Director of Finance and the Head of Legal and Corporate Governance (Monitoring Officer).

Reasons for decision

To providing housing and support for vulnerable residents in the Borough. This decision is an important step in achieving that aim.

Accepting this grant is an opportunity to lever more funding into our programme - which will mean overall the council will be able to deliver more homes for rent.

Alternative options considered

To use Right to Buy receipts to fund the acquisitions programme. The grant associated with DLUHC funding represents lower acquisition and borrowing costs to the Council, so the Council would prioritise the use of the DLUHC grant funding in the first instance.