Purpose

Camden stands ready to welcome refugees, and always has.
We have a long and proud history of welcoming people who are
displaced from all around the world as they flee conflict,
disaster, and persecution.
 
The Council has been awarded capital funding from
Department of Housing, Levelling Up and Communities (DHLUC) through
its Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) to provide affordable homes
to rent for refugees.
 
This funding has been used to purchase thirty homes on the
open market that were previously owned by the Council and sold
under the Right to Buy. It is proposed that these homes will be
refurbished to bring them all to the same Lettable Standard
suitable for letting for up to 3 years. This would be in accordance
with the terms of the LAHF grant agreement. Following completion of
the works, the homes would then be let to the Council’s
housing company Camden Living Ltd (CLL) on an operational lease to
sublet to refugee households under Assured Shorthold Tenancies
(ASTs).
 
The report seeks Council approval for grant of the lease
of the 30 homes to CLL and supporting arrangements between the
Council and CLL that would facilitate use and management of the
units for refugee housing. Subject to further decision making by
CLL (which would need to make its own independent decision to
acquire the homes) the proposed approach will enable the Council to
meet the terms of the DHLUC LAHF grant and the needs of eligible
refugee households over the medium term. In the longer term, the
homes could remain as affordable housing for the
Council.

Content

That having due regard to the obligations in section 149 of
the Equality Act 2010 the decision maker is asked to make the
following decisions on behalf of the Council in relation to the
Council’s dealings with Camden Living Group Ltd (CLG) and
Camden Living Ltd (CLL):
 

1.   
The Executive Director
Supporting Communities, acting in their corporate capacity,
following consultation with the Executive Director Corporate
Services and the Head of Property gives approval to:
 

a.   
Disposing of thirty homes at
best consideration by way of a market value operating lease to CLL
to be used to support the delivery of refugee housing, in
accordance with the heads of terms set out in appendix A and
summarised in section 2 of this report.

b.   
Authorising the Director of
Housing, to take all associated operational actions necessary to
complete and support the transaction, including completion of
refurbishment works to the Lettable Standard, entering into the
Leases and Relationship Agreement set out in Appendix A and
summarised in section 2 of this report.

c.    
Amending the Council’s
Service Contracts with CLL to provide landlord services on behalf
of CLL in respect of the open market homes for refugees.

d.   
Delivering directly to each
refugee household the Tenancy Support Offer commitment set out in
paragraph 2.4 of this report.
 

2.   
The Executive Director Supporting Communities, as the
Council’s nominated Shareholder Representative for Camden
Living, following consultation with the Executive Director
Corporate Services, Cabinet Member for Jobs & Homes and
Community Investment, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Cabinet
Member for Finance and Cost of Living, and the Principal Lawyer for
Corporate Services, gives Reserved Matters approval to CLL under
its Governance Agreement with Camden Living Group Ltd to CLL
entering the lease referred to in Recommendation 1 and any
associated documents together with all associated business planning
supporting CLL entering into the transaction.