Content

DECLARATIONS OF
INTEREST MADE FOR THIS ITEM:
 
None
 
RESOLVED:
 
That the Cabinet Member for Housing and
Planning (Deputy Leader):
 
1.   
Approved the repurposing of the Customer Services space within
Tottenham Green Leisure Centre for use as a dedicated Homelessness
Prevention Hub, including the co?location of a voluntary sector
advice and advocacy service.

2.   
Approved the formalising of the consolidation of the Customer
Services operation at the Wood Green Customer Services Centre,
following the earlier relocation of the service due to operational
pressures.

3.   
Approved the creation of a new back?office workspace within the
adjacent area of Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, ensuring
sufficient operational capacity to support the delivery of the
Homelessness Prevention Hub.
 
Reasons for
decision:
 
The council was obligated under the
Homelessness Code of Guidance (S. 11.14–11.15) to provide at
least one face?to?face interview for homelessness assessments in
most circumstances. This served as supplementary guidance to the
Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and the government required local
housing authorities to have regard to this guidance when exercising
functions related to homelessness.
 
An options analysis was undertaken to
understand the potential locations that could best accommodate the
Homelessness Prevention Hub, in collaboration with Capital Projects
and Property. The Customer Services space at Marcus Garvey Library,
with a back office in Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, was
identified as the most viable, cost?effective and practical
option.
 
The benefits of this option included the fact
that demand for the Housing Needs service came primarily from the
east of the borough, placing the Hub in close proximity to many of
its users. Repurposing the space improved the experience of
residents facing homelessness and allowed the service to comply
with the Homelessness Code of Guidance requirement for face?to?face
appointments. The parking capacity at Marcus Garvey Library and
Tottenham Green Leisure Centre offered a significantly better
experience for residents who were homeless on the day and might
have belongings with them; being able to access the space by car
assisted with this. The Housing Needs Service, Citizens Advice
Haringey and other relevant teams jointly used the vacated space,
creating a single, accessible point for residents to receive
housing assessments and specialist advice. By bringing services
together, this approach enhanced partnership working, strengthened
early intervention and delivered a more coordinated and
resident?focused service. The space was already set up for customer
service use, meaning minimal capital works were required, limiting
cost and disruption to service users.
 
Consolidating face?to?face Customer Service
into the Wood Green Customer Services Centre ensured a more
resilient model for staff and residents at a time when the
council’s finances were under severe strain. It created
economies of scale that enabled more consistent service levels
during unplanned staff shortages and peaks in demand.
 
Historically, the Wood Green Customer Services
site had attracted around 50% more footfall than the Marcus Garvey
Library/Tottenham Green Customer Services site because it was
centrally located, well connected by public transport and close to
other council services and amenities.
 
Marcus Garvey Customer Services had to shut
temporarily due to staff shortages on 3 October 2025, and all
footfall transferred to the Wood Green Customer Centre with minimal
disruption. Wait times for customers reduced, and both customers
and staff experienced the benefits of having a larger team located
in one place.
 
Alternative options
considered:
 
Doing nothing would have meant continuing with
the existing Housing Needs service model in the reception at 48
Station Road, relying on online and telephone?based support without
a dedicated face?to?face offer. The facilities were not sufficient
to comply with the Homelessness Code of Guidance, which required
that customers receive face?to?face interviews. This option was
therefore discounted.
 
Several alternative locations were considered
as part of the options appraisal for the project, including other
configurations of the space at Marcus Garvey Library. These options
were discounted based on their location, insufficient space to
accommodate the Hub, or where building works were deemed
excessively costly or disruptive.