Cabinet, on 9 August 2023 (‘Expansion of the Housing First Programme’) resolved to:

1.     Approve the Council’s participation in the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) in order to purchase 12 new units for Housing First alongside commissioning support for a total of 17 units, including 5 units drawn from general needs stock;

3.     Recommend to Council a budget allocation of £600,000 to cover revenue costs to commission support providers to deliver support for the 17 units of Housing First; and

4.  Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing; the Head of Financial Services / Section 151 Officer; and the Head of Law and Governance / Monitoring Officer, to enter into agreements and contracts to facilitate the purchase by the Council of housing (to be held in the HRA) within the identified budget and within the project approval, as well as to enter into or amend agreements or contracts in relation to support provision (revenue spend) in line with procurement requirements.

To enter into a contract with Beam Up Ltd to deliver a support service in respect of a Housing First programme, funded through the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme, following a compliant Open Tender process conducted under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and the Council's internal procurement Rules (section 19 of the Council’s Constitution).

The decision will support and enable the delivery of Oxford City Council’s Housing, Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28, and in particular the priority ‘Ending Rough Sleeping’. Housing First provides stable and permanent accommodation, along with support, to some of the most disadvantaged people in our community.

Housing First is an internationally evidenced housing intervention which has proven successful in supporting people with multiple and complex needs to maintain housing. Persons moving into Housing First accommodation are supported by dedicated Housing First support workers. The model has a low ‘client-support worker’ ratio, where one worker supports a maximum of 6 or 7 persons.

Please see the report to Cabinet of 9 August 2023 - Expansion of the Housing First Programme .

Decision taken by Peter Matthew, Executive Director (Communities and People) in consultation with Nerys Parry, Head of Housing; Nigel Kennedy, Head of Financial Services; Emma Jackman, Head of Law and Governance; and Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing.