Oxford City Council has been awarded £957,040 Preventing Homelessness Grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) Homelessness Directorate for inclusion in its budget allocation for 2013-2014. This is in addition to the Council’s own homelessness grant budget of £442,279.

This report outlines the allocation of both the Preventing Homelessness Grant funding and the Council’s homelessness grant budget to a variety of voluntary sector agencies, with the purpose of meeting the objectives of the Homelessness Strategy

City Executive Board is asked to recommend the allocation of the Preventing Homelessness Grants for 2013/2014 as outlined in the report.

The Head of Housing Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Grant Allocations. Nerys Parry presented the report to the Board and provided some further background and context.

The Board considered the report, observed that it was helpful and informative, and that it was pleased to see that homelessness grant allocations were not being eroded.

Resolved to:-

(1)    Recommend that allocation of the Preventing Homelessness Grant for 2013/14 as laid out in the report;

(2)    Recommend the allocation of Oxford City Council’s homelessness grant budget for 2013/14 as laid out in the report;

(3)    Delegate authority to the Head of Housing Services, in consultation with the Board member, to allocate the balance of the Preventing Homelessness Grant (£11,352) and any amendments to the homelessness grants budget.