Purpose

Annual report on homelessness & lettings and 2023/24 and plans around the same for 24/25.

Decision

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

a)  APPROVED the contents of this report.

b)  NOTED the forecast(s) for temporary accommodation use (as set out in paragraphs 3.53 to 3.57 and in tables 4 and 5 therein).

c)  NOTED the resources forecast and the lettings plan (as set out in paragraphs 3.78 to 3.90 and table 9 therein, with full details provided in Appendices 1 and 2).

d)  APPROVED the revised and refreshed scheme to tackle under-occupation in the borough’s housing stock, (as set out in paragraphs 3.91 to 3.99).

e)  SUPPORTED the creation of six FTE posts and the extension of 2 fixed-term FTE as detailed in paragraphs 3.100 to 3.114.

f)  APPROVED the revised landlord incentive packages and the revised approach to procurement directly managed leased units of temporary accommodation as detailed in paragraphs 3.115 to 3.130 and in tables 11 to 16 therein.

g)  NOTED that the cost of the proposed posts is estimated at £75,000 in 2024/25 and £150,000 in a full year from 2025/26 onward, but that these additional costs are expected to overall deliver savings to the homelessness budgets of at least equivalent value and therefore will require no net budgetary growth.