The Executive Director (Communities and People) has submitted a report to approve the Homelessness Prevention grant allocations for 2022/23.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Approve the allocation of Homelessness Prevention funds to commission homelessness services in 2022/23 as outlined in paragraphs 27 to 28 and in Appendix 2 of the report;

2.    Delegate to the Executive Director for Communities and People in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Affordable Housing, Housing Security and Housing the Homeless the discretion to revise the intended programme within the overall budget if required; and

3.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Communities and People to grant of a 10 year lease on Floyds Row to St Mungo’s with a 5 year rent review, and to note that the Council will provide grant funding to St Mungo’s if there are any costs arising having taken into account income collected.

The Executive Director (Communities and People) had submitted a report to approve the Homelessness Prevention grant allocations for 2022/23.  Authorisation was also sought to delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People) to enter into a lease with St Mungo’s in relation to Floyd’s Row. 

In introducing the report, the Cabinet Member for Affordable Housing, Housing Security and Housing the Homeless drew attention to the work which had been done to prevent and alleviate rough sleeping.  The report stated that 284 out of 355 people had moved on successfully from ‘Everyone In’; this figure had now risen to 299.  Thanks to the joint work of all providers of homelessness services, as well as Oxfordshire councils, local housing providers and health and social care and criminal justice partners, 126 units of Everyone In accommodation had been exited since May with no consequential increase in rough sleeping.

The Cabinet Member also drew attention to a forthcoming change to the way in which services were commissioned.  This would include the commencement of a new Oxfordshire Homelessness service, involving the majority of accommodation and outreach services being delivered by an alliance of local providers.  This was considered to represent a positive, beneficial and innovative approach, and had been well supported by council and partners across Oxfordshire.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.   Approve the allocation of Homelessness Prevention funds to commission homelessness services in 2022/23 as outlined in paragraphs 27 to 28 and in Appendix 2 of the report.

2.   Delegate to the Executive Director for Communities and People in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Affordable Housing, Housing Security and Housing the Homeless the discretion to revise the intended programme within the overall budget if required.

3.   Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Communities and People to grant of a 10 year lease on Floyds Row to St Mungo’s with a 5 year rent review, and to note that the Council will provide grant funding to St Mungo’s if there are any costs arising having taken into account income collected.