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Local Authority Housing Fund Refugee Scheme Round 2 – Approval to deliver 2ND
round humanitarian scheme accommodation through the 2022-32 new build housing
programme, partly funded by Central Government
Decision of: Councillor Bird, Executive Councillor for Housing and
Homelessness
Reference: 23/Urgency/HSC/12
Date of decision:
30/6/23
Date Published on
website: 30/6/23
Decision Type: Key
Matter for Decision:
Urgent approval to deliver 2nd round humanitarian scheme accommodation through
the 22-32 new build housing programme, partly funded by the department for
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Why the Decision had
to be made (and any alternative options):See below.
The Executive
Councillor’s decision:
2.1. Delegate
Authority to the Section 151 Officer to enter into a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to
allow for the Round 2 payment of allocated funding to the Council.
2.2. Approve
that the delivery of accommodation to cater for recent humanitarian schemes
identified within this second round of LAHF funding be delivered as part of the
Councils 2022-2032 New Build Housing Programme.
2.3. Approve
that an indicative budget of £1,980,000 be drawn down in 2023/24, from the sum
already ear-marked and approved for investment in new homes, to cover the costs
associated with delivering 4 homes to serve as longer term accommodation
catering for the eligible cohort as defined in 3.2 and to recognise grant
funding of £840,000 towards this expenditure. Following the meeting of this
need the properties delivered will become general needs housing held within
council stock.
2.4. Authorise
the Assistant Director (Assets and Property) to approve the purchase of open market
properties into council stock to serve as housing for the eligible cohort as
defined in 3.2, subject to consultation with the Director of Communities and
the Chief Financial Officer.
Reason for the
decision: The date for formalising the agreement and entering into a Memorandum
of Understanding with DLUHC falls between committee cycles and cannot wait for
the next Housing Scrutiny Committee date in September 2023. As detailed further
in Appendix A.
Scrutiny
Consideration: The Chair and spokes of the Housing Scrutiny Committee were
consulted prior to the action being authorised.
Conflict of
interest: None.
Comments: The Chair,
Opposition Spokes Councillors and the Vice-Chair Tenant Leasehold
Representative all supported the decision.
Part 4C section 6.1
of the Councils Constitution, permits decisions to be taken which are outside
of the budget framework if the decision is:
o
a
matter of urgency (this is correct)
o
it
is not practical to convene a quorate meeting of the Council, (this is
correct); and
o
the
Chair of the Housing Scrutiny Committee agrees the matter is of urgency (the
Chair agreed).
Given the deadline
for delivery and the requirement to ensure adequate time to allow completion of
property acquisitions this approval does not fit within the timeframes for a
full council decision on 20 July 2023, or the Housing Scrutiny Committee
meeting set for 19 September 2023.
The decision will be
reported back to the Housing Scrutiny Committee at the next meeting in
September 2023.
