The Executive Director (Communities & People) has submitted a report to seek project approval and delegations to enable the Council to proceed with entering into the national Local Authority Housing Fund and make available the required budget provision.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.       Approve the Council becoming part of the Local Authority Housing Fund in order to deliver 6 new affordable homes;

2.       Recommend to Council the allocation of £2,330,320 capital budget from the Housing Revenue Account for the Council’s investment to purchase the properties as part of Local Authority Housing Fund; and

3.       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.

The Executive Director (Communities & People) had submitted a report to seek project approval and delegations to enable the Council to proceed with entering into the national Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) and to make available the required budget provision.  The LAHF was a national fund to support local authorities in providing accommodation to Ukranian and Afghan families settled in the UK under various government schemes following the respective conflicts which had occurred in their countries. As a condition of the fund, local authorities were required to meet part of the funding required to purchase properties to provide new affordable homes: the remainder would be provided as grant from the fund.

The proposed agreement with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities would enable the Council to purchase six properties to offer as affordable social housing for Ukranian and Afghan refugee families, thereby helping to reduce emergency, temporary and bridging accommodation costs. 

Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing, reported that entering into the agreement reflected the Council’s values a City of Sanctuary.  It would allow the Council an opportunity to welcome Ukranian and Afghan refugees into the community, allowing them to contribute to life in Oxford and providing a life-changing opportunity for the individual families who would receive the tenancies.  It would also be very beneficial for the Council in that it would allow the Council to receive grant funding of c£1.1 million in return for an investment of c£1.2 million.  Once the properties were purchased the Council would become the owner, and this would provide a source of rental income to the Council.  Once the initial tenancy had ended the properties would become part of the Council’s regular housing stock, available for allocation to eligible applicants on the housing register.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Approve the Council becoming part of the Local Authority Housing Fund in order to deliver 6 new affordable homes;

2.       Recommend to Council the allocation of a £2,330,320 capital budget from the Housing Revenue Account for the Council’s investment to purchase the properties as part of Local Authority Housing Fund; and

3.       Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities & 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.