Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods seeking support for revised tenancy rescue and homelessness prevention initiatives to be used as a spend to save approach for the Housing Service. The funds are to be sourced from central government funding made available to local authority to prevent homelessness (Homelessness Prevention Grant Funding).

RESOLVED that:

(1)       the use of Homelessness Prevention Funding to be used for tenancy rescue initiatives be approved

(2)       authority be provided to the Housing Service Manager to adopt a flexible approach to Homelessness Prevention and to provide financial incentives that “allow households to remain in their accommodation or move to alternative accommodation” on the understanding that homelessness for these households is likely to have a greater financial impact on the Council’s budget 

(3)       a set of Homelessness Prevention Guiding Principles as opposed to a prescriptive policy in order to allow a degree of flexibility in the Council’s approach to Homelessness Prevention be adopted (Set out in Appendix 1 of the report)

(4)       authority be provided to the Housing Services Manager to agree any variations to the Guiding Principles that may be required to reflect the housing market.

Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods that sought support for revised tenancy rescue and homelessness prevention initiatives to be used as a spend to save approach for the Housing Service.

The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods summarised the report and emphasised that homelessness prevention was a key priority for the Council.  She reminded Members of not only the considerable financial cost of temporary accommodation but also the emotional cost and disruption to the people and families involved.  The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods placed the proposals within the context of other recent initiatives to address homelessness such as the Private Landlord Incentive, Discretionary Housing Payments and the Empty Homes Premium.  The Cabinet Member for Environment drew Members’ attention to the importance of the spend to save approach and early intervention to reduce the distress suffered by residents.  The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Strategy commented on the advantages of empowering officers with greater flexibility given his personal observations of the commitment of the housing team to helping people.  The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources noted that the proposals were potentially innovative and asked if other authorities had comparable schemes that Members could review.  The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods stated that the Council was doing well in comparison to others and took the opportunity to thank officers for their work and emphasised the importance of obtaining feedback from both officers and customers.

RESOLVED that:

(1)      the use of Homelessness Prevention Funding to be used for tenancy rescue initiatives be approved

(2)      authority be provided to the Housing Service Manager to adopt a flexible approach to Homelessness Prevention and to provide financial incentives that “allow households to remain in their accommodation or move to alternative accommodation” on the understanding that homelessness for these households is likely to have a greater financial impact on the Council’s budget 

(3)      a set of Homelessness Prevention Guiding Principles as opposed to a prescriptive policy in order to allow a degree of flexibility in the Council’s approach to Homelessness Prevention be adopted (Set out in Appendix 1 of the report)

(4)      authority be provided to the Housing Services Manager to agree any variations to the Guiding Principles that may be required to reflect the housing market.