The Director of Housing Services submitted a report to Cabinet seeking approval to implement measures to meet demand and bring down cost of Temporary Accommodation.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Approve the latest set of mitigations the Council is taking, as summarised in paragraph 6 of this report, to increase the provision of temporary accommodation, to improve quality, and decrease cost.

2.    Delegate to the Director of Housing Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy, and the Group Finance Director: 

a.    subject to the parameters as set out in paragraph 19, authority to agree the properties to be acquired and the detailed terms for the acquisition of properties and enter into all necessary documentation to effect the acquisition of each property into the Housing Revenue Account for the use of Temporary Accommodation; and 

b.    authority to enter into necessary agreements or contracts required, and to authorise expenditure, for any works required to convert or carry out works to (a) any new properties acquired by the Housing Revenue Account or (b) to suitable existing properties from the General Fund to enable them to be used for Temporary Accommodation and to ensure compliance prior to occupation Provided all such expenditure is within the £32 million capital budget as contained in the MTFP. 

3.    Note the additional measures as set out in paragraphs 21 to 26 of this report.