To consider a report to delivery the ELDC Temporary Accommodation Programme Utilising the £1million funding allocated through the Council’s Capital Programme and the award of DLUHC LAHF 3 funding for Temporary and Resettlement homes.

Please Note: Appendix A is Exempt

The Chairman highlighted that Appendix A was Exempt.  Should Members wish to discuss this paper, a vote would be taken to go into Exempt session.

The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing presented a report that sought approval for delivery of the ELDC Temporary Accommodation Programme utilising the £1million funding allocated through the Council’s Capital Programme and the award of DLUHC LAHF 3 funding for Temporary and Resettlement homes, pages 103 to 120 of the Agenda refer.

In September 2023, Executive Board agreed to provide £1m to increase the Council’s temporary accommodation (TA) stock.  Subsequent to this decision, Full Council approved the amendment to the 2023/24 Capital Programme budget to include this provision at its meeting held on 11 October 2023, Minute No. 48 refers.

More recently, the Council had been notified by DLUHC of the award of £1.067m grant in response to its Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Round 3 expression of interest for the delivery of further re-settlement homes and temporary accommodation units.

In light of the LAHF 3 funding offer, on September 18^th 2024 the Executive Board met and formally agreed the following, Minute No. 26 refers;

·       To take part on the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3 programme, with a view to bringing 12 properties into the council’s ownership to meet short, medium and long-term housing needs within the district.

·       The approach to be adopted in respect of the spend of the funds, including type, priority location and delivery approach. This approach is detailed within this report.

·       To delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Strategic Growth & Development, in conjunction with the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing, to finalise and agree the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the LAHF Round 3 programme with DLUHC and,

·       To recommended to Council that the 2024/25 capital programme, as set out in Appendix 2, is amended to reflect the LAHF 3 funds.

The report sought Full Council approval on the matter of amendments to the 2024/25 capital programme, as set out in Appendix 2.

The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing passed his thanks on to the Assistant Director for Strategic Growth and Development and his team for the tremendous work that had gone into the programme and for the success that it had become.

Following which the recommendation was duly Proposed and Seconded.

Members were invited to put their comments and questions forward.

·       A Member queried what the total need and total projected need was for this type of accommodation in the future and whether more of this type of accommodation was planned and if so, the payback time.

In response, the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing stated that the Council would never have enough of this type of accommodation, with 820 applicants on the waiting list for one-bedroom accommodation.  However, alternative ideas had been considered regarding modular design and construction which may come forward and would hopefully increase the number of one-bedroom accommodation.

·       A Member queried whether it was possible to house Afghan people reasonably close to each other for support.  It was further queried that if properties were converted into smaller units they were classified as a house of multiple occupation.

In response, the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing advised that Afghans were matched to a location or property through a matching service and that they chose the property where they wanted to live.  It was confirmed that the temporary accommodation units would not be houses of multiple occupation and would be two distinct separate flats and occupants would not be sharing communal facilities.

·       A Member highlighted the problems with flood risk in Skegness for one-bedroom properties and queried whether this could be overcome.

In response, the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing acknowledged the difficulties with flood risk and advised that the query raised was addressed at Paragraph 1.15 in the report, page 108 of the Agenda refers.

RESOLVED:

That the Council’s 2024/25 capital programme be amended to include the £1.067m in Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3 funds, taking the Council’s total capital budget for temporary accommodation investment to £2.067m.

N.B.  Councillor Steve Kirk left the Meeting at 8.36pm.