The Director of Housing submitted a report to seek the required budget provision and the necessary project approval and delegations to enable the Council to proceed with entering into the national Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4. 

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Approve receipt of the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4 (LAHF R4) funding of £1,719,354 to deliver 4 temporary accommodation units and 4 units for resettled Afghan families 

2.    Recommend to Council, to approve the allocation of £808,000 of the LAHF R4 grant funding in substitution of approved HRA borrowing for the delivery of the temporary accommodation element of LAHF R4.

3.    Recommend to Council, to approve the allocation of £898,500 of the LAHF R4 grant funding to a new General Fund capital budget for the payment of a capital grant of 898,500 to a Registered Provider to deliver the ‘resettlement’ element of LAHF R4. 

4.    Delegate authority to the Director of Housing in consultation with; Cabinet Member for Regulation of the Private Rented Sector and Preventing Homelessness, the Group Finance Director and the Director of Law Governance and Strategy, to select a Registered Provider delivery partner and enter into a grant agreement with them to part fund the purchase of 4 units for resettled Afghan families.   

Cabinet resolved to:

1.    Approve receipt of the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4 (LAHF R4) funding of £1,719,354 to deliver 4 temporary accommodation units and 4 units for resettled Afghan families

2.    Recommend to Council, to approve the allocation of £808,000 of the LAHF R4 grant funding in substitution of approved HRA borrowing for the delivery of the temporary accommodation element of LAHF R4.

3.    Recommend to Council, to approve the allocation of £898,500 of the LAHF R4 grant funding to a new General Fund capital budget for the payment of a capital grant of 898,500 to a Registered Provider to deliver the ‘resettlement’ element of LAHF R4.

4.    Delegate authority to the Director of Housing in consultation with; Cabinet Member for Regulation of the Private Rented Sector and Preventing Homelessness, the Group Finance Director and the Director of Law Governance and Strategy, to select a Registered Provider delivery partner and enter into a grant agreement with them to part fund the purchase of 4 units for resettled Afghan families.

The Director of Housing submitted a report to seek the required budget provision and the necessary project approval and delegations to enable the Council to proceed with entering into the national Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4. 

Councillor Smith noted that the report covered government funding available through the LAHF R4 scheme for both temporary accommodation and homes for refugees on government resettlement programmes. The funding presented an opportunity to meet housing needs, with grant passed to a registered provider of social housing to deliver the homes. As with previous funding rounds, once resettlement tenancies ended [after at least 3 years], the properties would become general social housing, with nominations rights retained for households on the local housing waiting list.

Councillor Rowley noted the Local Authority Housing Fund covered between 40-50% of the cost of acquiring the properties. Members were reminded that substantial borrowing for new temporary accommodation had been approved in March and that £808000 of grant funding reduced the borrowing requirement. Although the scheme did not deliver additional properties beyond those already planned, it improved the councils financial positions by reducing borrowing.

Stephen Cohen, Refugee and Resettlement Manager, added that round four built on the success of rounds one to three, during which 22 properties had been delivered with government grant funding.

Councillor Railton proposed.

Councillor Rowley seconded.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.    Approve receipt of the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4 (LAHF R4) funding of £1,719,354 to deliver 4 temporary accommodation units and 4 units for resettled Afghan families

2.    Recommend to Council, to approve the allocation of £808,000 of the LAHF R4 grant funding in substitution of approved HRA borrowing for the delivery of the temporary accommodation element of LAHF R4.

3.    Recommend to Council, to approve the allocation of £898,500 of the LAHF R4 grant funding to a new General Fund capital budget for the payment of a capital grant of 898,500 to a Registered Provider to deliver the ‘resettlement’ element of LAHF R4.

4.    Delegate authority to the Director of Housing in consultation with; Cabinet Member for Regulation of the Private Rented Sector and Preventing Homelessness, the Group Finance Director and the Director of Law Governance and Strategy, to select a Registered Provider delivery partner and enter into a grant agreement with them to part fund the purchase of 4 units for resettled Afghan families.