Agenda and draft minutes
PDF 196 KBVenue: Alexandra House, Station Road, N22 7TR
Contact: Kodi Sprott, Principal Committee Coordinator Email: kodi.sprott@@haringey.gov.uk
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Filming at meetings Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.
The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council. Minutes: The Leader of the Council referred to the filming at meetings notice and attendees noted this information. |
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Apologies for absence To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: None |
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Urgent business The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of Urgent Business. (Late items of Urgent Business will be considered under the agenda item where they appear). Minutes: None |
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Declarations of interest A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:
(i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and (ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.
A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.
Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct Minutes: None |
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DEPUTATIONS / PETITIONS / QUESTIONS Minutes: None |
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Acquisition of properties up to £700,000 for Housing use Minutes: The Leader of the Council considered the report which sought approval of the acquisition of 40 larger sized family homes over two years capped at a maximum total sum of £28,000,000.
The Council had a significant Temporary Accommodation (TA) challenge like many local authorities across the country with over 2446 families in temporary accommodation.
It was noted that the Council has a successful programme of purchasing properties and leasing them through Haringey Community Benefit Society (HCBS) to help address this TA need. Based on the data and requirements of the TA list, the Council required at least 10% of 4-bedroom properties and above to meet demand.
It was further noted that the average price of a 4-bedroom property in Haringey was £750,000, therefore, the report recommended that approval was granted to acquire larger family homes, which were valued up to £700,000, through the acquisition programme.
In response to questions, the Leader noted:
- That changes to funding arrangements meant that there was more opportunity to find and purchase more 4 bedroom properties.
- These were much needed properties for temporary accommodation purposes and there were four properties already identified and in the pipeline.
- The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning(Deputy Leader) would be kept informed of the purchases which would also be considered through the Council’s internal governance process via the Temporary Accommodation Board.
- These delegated decisions would also be reported to Cabinet.
RESOLVED
1. To approve the acquisition of 40 larger sized family homes over two years capped at a maximum total sum of £28,000,000. This equates to acquisition of 40 homes at an average of £700,000 per property through the acquisitions programme, which meet the current assessment criteria for purchasing properties outlined in 6:10; and
2. To delegate authority to the Director for Placemaking and Housing , after consultation with the Director of Finance and the Assistant Director of Legal and Corporate Governance (Monitoring Officer), to negotiate and purchase of each of the 40 individual properties up to a value of £700,000 which meet the current assessment criteria for purchasing properties.
Reasons for decision
Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended) sets out the duties to households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. If a main housing duty is accepted, housing authorities must ensure that suitable accommodation is available for the applicant and their household until the duty is brought to an end, usually through the offer of a settled home. A suitable offer of a settled home which would bring the main housing duty to an end includes an offer of a suitable secure or introductory tenancy with a local authority, an offer of accommodation through a private registered provider (also known as a housing association) or the offer of a suitable tenancy for at least 12 months from a private landlord made by arrangement with the local authority.
Whilst the wait for social housing is long for all family sized accommodation, historically there has been a shortage of larger homes available ... view the full minutes text for item 14. |