Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: February 24, 2026

Purpose:

Content:  The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Economy and Place, which sought approval to accept the 2025/26 Homelessness Prevention Grant allocation of £1,740,771, and a further Top Up Grant of £223,363, giving a total allocation of £1,964,134 and agree on the proposed spending plan outlined in Appendix 1 to the report.   The Cabinet Member Regeneration and Housing delivered a brief summary of the report’s key points.   The Head of Strategic Housing (People) was in attendance to present the information and addressed the questions and comments of the Cabinet Members.   The Officer informed that the grant condition required that at least £1,076,341 be spent on prevention, relief, and staffing activities. The Grant funding was intended to provide local authorities with additional resources in 2025/26 to support individuals and households who were at risk of or experiencing homelessness.   Resolved: 1.     That the terms of the grants be noted and acceptance of the grants totalling £1,964,134 be approved; 2.     That the spending plan as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved; 3.     That delegated authority be given to the Director of Economy and Place to undertake the necessary procurement exercises and award of contracts together with the entering into of all required agreements for the delivery of the spending plan.   Reason for decision: The grant provideed essential funding to enable the Council to deliver its statutory homelessness prevention duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. It supported early intervention, tenancy sustainment, and strengthened partnership working, as well as helping to provide temporary accommodation. This funding aligned with corporate priorities relating to housing, health, and wellbeing.   A longstanding challenge with the HPG had been the short-term nature of the government’s annual allocations, which had been confirmed only one year at a time and had been subject to fluctuation. This limited the Council’s ability to plan strategically, develop longer term commissioning arrangements, or commit confidently to multiyear activity.   The uncertainty in annual grant levels made it more difficult to embed sustainable homelessness prevention outcomes, despite the increasing demand pressures and the Council’s clear prevention first ambition. Nevertheless, the spend plan outlined in section 6 reflected a proactive approach to maximising the impact of the funding available and ensuring that the Council continued to meet its statutory obligations. The HPG continued to represent a critical funding stream for Rochdale Borough Council, underpinning the delivery of statutory homelessness functions, sustaining frontline Housing Solutions, and ensuring capacity to deliver timely assessments, Personalised Housing Plans, prevention and relief interventions, and support for single people and families at risk of homelessness.   The grant also formed a central part of the borough’s wider strategy to minimise the use of unsuitable temporary accommodation, particularly bed and breakfast placements, and to support pathways that prevent and reduce rough sleeping.   Use of the grant must remain fully aligned with the national HPG principles, ensuring that expenditure contributes directly to preventing homelessness, supporting households at risk, and maintaining the financial viability of core housing services.   A key requirement of the grant was that funding was directed towards the delivery of statutory duties arising from the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) 2017 and the Housing Act 1996. In Rochdale, the grant supported our statutory prevention and relief activity, assessments, personalised housing plans, and the provision and management of temporary accommodation. This included mitigating the increasing cost pressures associated with temporary accommodation placements, which continued to reflect regional and national trends in demand.   The grant also underpinned our strategic commitment to reducing the number of families placed in temporary accommodation, with a particular focus on minimising, and ultimately eliminating the use of unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation for families.   The requirement ensured robust oversight of frontline pressures and a clear operational pathway to compliance. Rochdale continued to prioritise early intervention and family homelessness prevention to reduce reliance on costly crisis responses.   In addition, the funding supported Council’s obligations to prevent and relieve single homelessness and rough sleeping. This included strengthening outreach activity, enhancing move-on pathways, and enabling targeted interventions that support individuals who face the greatest risk of repeat homelessness.   These activities remained central to our local ambition to end rough sleeping and provide consistent support across the homelessness pathway.   As stipulated within the grant conditions, at least 49% of all expenditure must be spent on prevention, relief, and staffing activities.