The Executive Director (Communities and People) has submitted a report to (i) seek authorisation to procure an Emergency Temporary Accommodation Framework; and (ii) update Cabinet on increasing levels of homelessness use of temporary accommodation and mitigations in Oxford.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.        Approve the establishment of a framework under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for the Procurement of Emergency Temporary Accommodation;

2.        Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People) to agree the final structure of the Emergency Temporary Accommodation Framework and appoint successful suppliers to all lots on the Framework;

3.        Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People) to procure and award individual contracts through the Emergency Temporary Accommodation Framework in excess of £1 million;

4.        Note the implementation of a new Private Sector Leasing Scheme to increase Temporary Accommodation supply and note that leases will be negotiated with Housing Associations where appropriate to release additional units;

5.        Note the development of further mitigations, including the de-designation of certain housing stock for use as Temporary Accommodation; longer-term capital investment to increase supply of Temporary Accommodation; and work with Ox Place to increase the supply of move on accommodation.

The Executive Director (Communities and People) had submitted a report to (i) seek authorisation to establish an Emergency Temporary Accommodation Framework for the procurement of emergency temporary accommodation; and (ii) update Cabinet on increasing levels of homelessness use of temporary accommodation and mitigations in Oxford.

Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities, reported that unprecedented numbers of people were now presenting to the Council as homelessness.  Within that, there was an unprecedented number of people whom the Council had a statutory duty to house.  Of these, many were in temporary accommodation whilst a permanent home for them to move to was sought.  The report before Cabinet set out the scale of the situation.

Councillor Smith highlighted that, in additional to the detrimental effects on the individuals affected, the use of temporary accommodation was expensive for the Council.  Whilst much work had already been done to seek to reduce the costs wherever possible and keep the numbers of those in temporary accommodation as low as possible (as set out in the report), further initiatives to increase temporary accommodation supply, prevent homelessness and increase the supply of move on accommodation were being pursued.  The report also proposed the establishment of an Emergency Temporary Accommodation Framework for the procurement of emergency temporary accommodation.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.        Approve the establishment of a framework under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for the Procurement of Emergency Temporary Accommodation;

2.        Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People) to agree the final structure of the Emergency Temporary Accommodation Framework and appoint successful suppliers to all lots on the Framework;

3.        Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People) to procure and award individual contracts through the Emergency Temporary Accommodation Framework in excess of £1 million;

4.        Note the implementation of a new Private Sector Leasing Scheme to increase Temporary Accommodation supply and note that leases will be negotiated with Housing Associations where appropriate to release additional units;

5.        Note the development of further mitigations, including the de-designation of certain housing stock for use as Temporary Accommodation; longer-term capital investment to increase supply of Temporary Accommodation; and work with Ox Place to increase the supply of move on accommodation.