The Executive Director of Housing submitted a report to Cabinet on 15 September seeking approval to proceed with the bid to MHCLG for funding from the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and to agree to include the required capital match funding in the Council’s budget.

The Cabinet decisions are set out in the minutes of that meeting (included in this agenda).

Cllr Blackings, the Cabinet Member, will present the report and propose Cabinet’s recommendations.

Recommendations: Cabinet recommends that Council resolves to agree to make budget provision for the required match funding of £2 million.

Council considered the report of the Executive Director of Housing submitted to Cabinet on 15 September seeking approval to proceed with the bid to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Governemnt for funding from the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and to agree to include the required capital match funding in the Council’s budget.

Cllr Blackings, the Cabinet Member, introduced the report, proposed the recommendations. The recommendation was agreed on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to agree to make budget provision for the required match funding of £2 million.

The Executive Director of Housing has submitted a report to seek approval to proceed with the bid to MHCLG for funding from the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and to agree to include the required capital match funding in the Council’s budget.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Agree the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme bid and the further £2m investment in the National Homelessness Property Fund by the Council;

2.    Recommend to Council that budget provision is agreed for the required match funding of £2m; and

3.    Delegate to the Executive Director of Housing the entering into of supporting agreements

The Executive Director of Housing had submitted a report to seek approval to proceed with the bid to MHCLG for funding from the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and to agree to include the required capital match funding in the Council’s budget.

Cllr Diko Blackings, Cabinet Member for Affordable Housing, Housing Security and Housing the Homeless, introduced the report. The proposal before Cabinet would  provide another welcome contribution to Council’s efforts to  tackle homelessness. The scheme was considered to represent excellent value for money not least because of the Government’s matched funding element.

Officers noted a correction in paragraph 14 of the report “completion” should read “competition”.

It was recognised that there was a fine balance to be struck in wanting to take advantage of the investment opportunity while not wanting to be in unnecessary competition with third sector providers. Officers said there was monitoring of the housing market to avoid paying in excess of the market valuation but this was constrained to some extent by the very tight timescale for this (and other) schemes.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.Agree the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme bid and the further £2m investment in the National Homelessness Property Fund by the Council;

2.Recommend to Council that budget provision is agreed for the required match funding of £2m; and

3.Delegate to the Executive Director of Housing the entering into of supporting agreements.