Purpose

To
request Cabinet’s support to allocate the funding to a Registered Provider (RP)
who will use this funding along with their own resources to source 10
properties.

 

Content

(a)  That £1,744,421 be granted to a Housing
Association (HA) after a competition process, who would act as the delivery vehicle
and purchase the 10 properties using these funds and their own funds. Completion
of the purchase of the properties to be finalised 31st March 2026.

 

(b)  That a lettings plan is put in place
with the successful HA so Dorset Council can ensure the properties are
allocated in accordance with the funding requirements.

 

Reason for the decision

 

Dorset Council now owned 30 properties that were
purchased with the funding granted from the Government as part of LAHF1, 26 of
the properties were purchased to house Ukraine refugees and 4 of the properties
were purchased to house Afghan refugees in accordance with conditions attached
to the grant payment. All of these properties at some future date and on
becoming vacant could be used as temporary accommodation to house those who
were homeless or potentially homeless. The project was very successful however
had taken a lot of resource from the Council’s Housing and Assets teams to
carry out the work. Additionally, the Council was only able to grant non secure
tenancies as the Council was not currently a stock holding authority. A
requirement of the LAHF3 funding was that the Afghan refugees were offered
secure tenancies.

To meet the short deadline, offer secure tenancies to
the families from Afghanistan the properties should be provided, owned and
managed by a registered provider.