Purpose

To
accept additional funding from the LAHF (Local Authority Housing
Fund) of £1,868,000 and agree to use this money, together
with borrowing, to purchase 10 additional homes.  These will initially be used for two purposes,
1property to accommodate refugees from a recognised scheme and 9
properties to be used for temporary accommodation. In the longer
term these will all revert to general needs HRA housing
stock.
 
It is a
condition of funding that one of the properties acquired under this
scheme are initially used to rehouse people who are refugees from a
recognised government scheme . The Council will ask the Strategic
Migration Partnership, or other similar agencies, for nominations
for these homes.
 
As
properties become available, if there are no eligible refugees at
that time, and to avoid properties remaining empty, it is proposed
to give the Head of Housing authority to use the property for wider
housing needs on either a temporary basis or to substitute with a
council property at a later stage.  The
latter option will only be considered in exceptional
circumstances.
 
The
properties that are for temporary accommodation will be let
directly by the Housing Needs team to reduce the use of expensive
temporary bed & breakfast accommodation, and to avoid placing
families in unsuitable accommodation,   
 
Although the properties acquired under this scheme are initially
for use by refugees or as temporary accommodation, in the longer
term the properties will be part of the HRA general needs housing
stock.  It is proposed to give power to
the Head of Housing to determine when each property transfers to
general needs use but this determination needs to take account of
the housing needs of refugees and demand for temporary
accommodation.
 
The
Council has previously received £10,999,288 to purchase 66
homes under previous rounds of LAHF funding.

Content

To accept this offer of
funding, and to acquire a total of 10 additional homes.