Purpose

To seek approval for the purchase of the residential property to be used as temporary accommodation for homeless households owed a statutory duty.

Decision

The Director (Corporate Support) hereby:

(i)             Approves the purchase of a residential property listed in Appendix A of the report on the main terms and conditions referred to in this report.

Authorise the Head of Legal Service to prepare and complete the necessary legal documentation. 

Alternative options considered

Do not purchase the property – this was rejected because it would mean having to rely on leasing of dispersed accommodation to meet temporary accommodation demand which would reduce the number of affordable rented properties that are available for households who require them.

Rely on hotel accommodation to meet temporary accommodation demand – this was rejected. It is accepted that the Council will continue to need to use hotel provision due to its flexibility. However, this comes at a considerable cost to the Council and therefore it is necessary to reduce, as far as possible, the level of reliance on this type of provision because the cost of using it leads to significant subsidy loss to the Council.