Purpose

In December 2022, the
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
launched the Local Authority Housing Fund. This was a £500
million capital fund for local authorities in England to obtain
accommodation for families with housing needs who have arrived in
the UK fleeing the war in Ukraine and families on Afghan
resettlement and relocation schemes. The reason for this was to
help ensure that those communities who had been generous in
welcoming new arrivals were not ‘penalised’ with longer
social housing  waiting lists.
 
Last year, Thanet District
Council was awarded £694,000 as part of the second round
of the LAHF project (approved by Cabinet members on 16th
November 2023) and now it has been awarded £619,500 as
part of the Government’s £450m two-year expansion to
the scheme which aims to provide local authorities with a
longer-term pipeline of support and to unlock more new supply
and developments.
 
Given Thanet District
Council’s proactive acquisitions programme, it has been able
to
secure the four properties that
are required of it through the criteria for round 3. These homes
have been secured through Vistry at Westwood
Point. 
 
Thanet is purchasing four
properties: three x 3-bedroom properties (one for TA and two
medium-sized resettlement properties) and one x 4-bedroom property
(again, for the resettlement element).

Decision

Cabinet agreed that:
 
1. 
The Council proceeds with the acquisition of the four homes at
Westwood Point - being acquired through Vistry for £1,255,000;
 
2. 
The properties are provided as per the LAHF Round 3 funding
criteria, i.e. one for temporary accommodation and three for
resettlement purposes.
 

Reasons for the decision

These recommendations will enable the council
to purchase the units for Affordable Housing and participate in the
Local Authority Housing Fund Scheme.

Alternative options considered

Council could decide to not purchase the
identified units as part of the  Local Authority Housing Fund.
This option is not recommended as it would require the council to
seek alternative units, which would put our compliance to complete
on purchases by 30th March  at risk. We would then
have to advise the central government that we are unable to
participate in the scheme and the allocated grant funding will not
be taken up.