Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision

This report detailed the annual bid round for grants made to organisations providing homelessness prevention services. It provides an overview of the process, the grant eligibility criteria and the budget. Appendix 1 details the applications received with recommendations for 2025-26 awards.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Community Safety, Homelessness and Wellbeing

      i.         Approved the award of homelessness prevention grants to voluntary and community organisations for 2025-26, as set out in Appendix 1 of the Officer’s report.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Housing Advice Service Manager.

The Executive Councillor for Community Safety, Homelessness and Wellbeing advised that the Council had received a higher ‘Homelessness Prevention Grant’ from Central Government compared to last year, which could be used to increase  the Council’s (similarly called) Homelessness Prevention Grants, awarded to partner organisations, which was the subject of this report. 

The Housing Advice Service Manager said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.         Noted that ‘the Haven’ was to provide support 2 nights and 1 afternoon a week.

    ii.         Homelessness applications needed to be determined in accordance with Homelessness legislation and each case was considered on its own merits. Not everyone who presented as homeless would be provided with interim accommodation whilst their homelessness application was determined. The Homelessness Relief Duty lasted for 56 days but not all applicants may be accommodated during that time. The applicant would need to fall within a ‘priority need’ during that time. Examples of ‘priority need’ included having dependent children, or a person being vulnerable due to their mental health needs. Applicants who did not qualify within the Homelessness Relief Duty would be provided advice on other accommodation options for example Jimmy’s Night Shelter and the Winter Provision for Rough Sleepers. 

   iii.         Applicants had to set outcomes within their Homelessness Prevention Grant applications to explain how their project / application would prevent / relieve homelessness. Organisations which were awarded grant funding had to provide monitoring data to the Council in relation to their outcomes every 6 and 12 months so the Council could assess the effectiveness of the homelessness prevention measures.   

The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the recommendation.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.