Decision details

Local Authority Housing Fund

Decision Maker: Director of Communities

Decision status: For Determination

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

To enter into a Memorandum of Understand with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) to deliver the Local Authority Housing Fund in Gloucester

Reasons for the decision:

Background:

The Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) is a DLUHC funding programme that aims to secure additional affordable homes for Ukrainian and Afghan households who are accommodated through the wide range of schemes currently available to them.

 

In the case of Afghan households, they are currently accommodated in bridging hotel accommodation that is unsuitable for their longer-term needs. Ukrainian households who have fled the war in Ukraine are currently accommodated either with local host families, or with their extended family in the local area.

 

Where Ukrainian households become homeless, the local housing authority has an obligation to take a homelessness application, and this may result in the need to provide accommodation.

LAHF funding is available to the council to deliver 11 homes for Ukrainian households and two large family homes for Afghan families and provides a contribution to the full cost of delivering the accommodation and associated fixtures, fittings, and furnishings.

Reason for Decision

As the council does not own or manage housing stock, officers have worked closely with registered providers who have agreed to deliver the homes required by the LAHF, and any LAHF funding required will be passed directly to each relevant registered provider in accordance with the scheme requirements.

Once the properties delivered are no longer needed to support Afghan and Ukrainian households, the accommodation will revert to general needs accommodation for the benefit of Gloucester residents in housing need.

Alternative options considered:

The option not to enter into an agreement with DLUHC to deliver the LAHF scheme was discounted as it would reduce the availability of stable accommodation for Afghan and Ukrainian households who are currently accommodated in bridging hotels or in local resident’s homes.

Publication date: 22/03/2023

Date of decision: 21/03/2023