Agenda item

 (A report by Matthew Hogan – Assistant Director for Strategic Growth and Development)

Portfolio Holder: Councillor John Baxter – Housing and Planning

The Portfolio Holder – Housing and Planning presented a report which set out the background of the Local Authority Housing Fund and explained another round of funding had been offered to the Council.

The Local Authority Housing Fund was a £750million national programme to support local authorities in providing accommodation to Ukrainian and Afghan families, settled in the UK legally under various government schemes following the conflict that has occurred in the two countries. The Council was already in contract with the Government to deliver homes under Round 1, where the Council had accepted and commenced investment of £691,500 in funds from government to provide eight properties.

Round 2 of the fund was designed to support primarily with providing accommodation for Afghan families. The fund also allowed authorities to access funds to support in providing additional general temporary accommodation for use in meeting local need. Under Round 2 of the fund, Boston Borough Council had been invited by Government to consider an offer of £471,950 to make avaliable five properties; four homes for Afghan families, and one property for general temporary accommodation.

In order to take part in the scheme, the total project cost was estimated at between £1.084million and £1.142 million, therefore the project required an anticipated maximum Council capital contribution of £685,000. As the properties would generate a revenue system for the Council, the project was anticipated to be self-funding.

Following Members question the Portfolio Holder – Housing and Planning, in addition to the Assistant Director – Strategic Growth and Development confirmed;

• That it may be possible that the house available for general local accommodation could be acquired before the 4 other properties in Round 2, and that officers would explore how this could be achieved
• The team supporting Round 1 were confident they would be able to deliver the additional houses in Round 2 within the allocated timeframe.
• The families being offered the houses were families that had been supported to resettle legally in the UK through the Home Office.
• The team supporting this Fund were working alongside different Charities to furnish the homes with the necessities where required.

Councillor Ghosh arrived at 18.43pm, as he was not present for the entirety of the discussion he was unable to take part in the vote.

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet formally agrees to take part in the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 2 programme, with a view to bringing five properties into the Council’s ownership to meet short, medium and long term housing needs within the borough, thus building upon investment approved under Round 1.
2. That Cabinet recommend to Council that the 2023/24 capital programme is amended to reflect the project.
3. To delegate to the Assistant Director – Strategic Growth and Development, in conjunction with the Deputy Leader of the Council, the authority to conclude contractual and grant agreement arrangements with Government in respect of the scheme.
4. To delegate to the Assistant Director – Strategic Growth and Development, in conjunction with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Housing, any further decisions relating to the purchase of properties in respect of this project, to reflect the need to act commercially to secure the homes.