Agenda item

[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 commissioned Assessment Centre support provider, which at present and until January 2020 is St Mungo’s Community Housing Association at a rent of not less than £176,000.00 and subject to the heads of terms being agreed; and

5.    To agree to give delegated authority to the Assistant Director of Economic Development and Growth and the Assistant Director Commissioning to agree the heads of terms and the final terms of the sub lease and any management agreement.

6.    To agree to approve revenue funding of £240,000 per year to develop and deliver a Single Homelessness Referral and Advice Hub, as a Council-led service, in the two commercial units of the property.

Reasons for decision

The Council’s Assessment Centre for single homeless people will not be able to operate from its current premises at Dial House after April 2019 due to sale by its previous owner and plans for redevelopment by its current owner. New premises, therefore, are required as a matter of urgency to accommodate this service and 23 vulnerable adults for the future.

The property at 332-334 High Road provides both high quality accommodation and space for a Hub service in one building. It offers the right number of bedrooms to facilitate the commissioning of a resource efficient assessment centre, and is well positioned in the borough to maximise accessibility. Securing the premises at 332-334 High Road Tottenham for the relocated Assessment Centre offers a unique opportunity to develop a Single Homelessness Hub. By approving this proposal, there is an opportunity to offer an effective response to prevent homelessness as well as to support those already experiencing homelessness, thereby reducing costs for the Council and the wider public sector in supporting a vulnerable and often complex cohort of individuals.  

Alternative Options Considered

There is a statutory requirement to provide housing for single homeless people only where they are identified as vulnerable and in priority need under Section 189 of the Housing Act (1996 amended 2002). Haringey like all London boroughs recognises the human, social and economic costs associated with homelessness and the need to ensure that people are adequately supported to recover from it and where possible prevent future instances. Therefore, whilst it would be possible to end the contract for the Assessment Centre service when the lease for the current building ceases and not identify an alternative, this would be out of line with known demand for homelessness services in Haringey, with the Council’s strategic objectives to ensure all adults lead healthy and fulfilling lives and with the national approach to single homelessness. Therefore, continuing without agreeing a solution to the requirement to leave the current building is not considered a viable approach.

It would also be possible to reject this proposal in favour of seeking another building that could reprovide the Assessment Centre but not offer the opportunity to create a referral and advice Hub. However, despite Haringey having its own property portfolio, registered provider partners and established links with landlords and developing organisations, sourcing a building with the required number of accommodation units, which would be suitable for a cohort of single homeless people and would be available on or before the date required, had proved impossible until this opportunity presented itself. Therefore, it is considered not only an excellent opportunity to develop an innovative Hub service, but also a unique opportunity to secure a lease for an appropriate building to reprovide the much-needed Assessment Centre service.

It would also be reasonable to suggest that the proposal be modified, in favour of pursuing a lease on either the accommodation or the commercial element of the building in isolation. However, negotiations with the landlord to date have made it clear that this option is not being offered, due to the reduced likelihood of leasing either part of the building separately with the proposed uses. Therefore, it is considered that the only viable option is to lease both elements of the building as part of one lease because there is not an option available to lease only one element of the space.

The creation of a co-located single homelessness assessment centre and referral and advice Hub is more than a response to the immediate need to relocate the current service. It presents a unique opportunity to build on the extensive strategy and analysis work as part of the Supported Housing Review (2017), Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategies (2018), Single Homelessness Pathway Review (2018) and the emerging work of the Making Every Adult Matter Steering Group as well as others.