Agenda item

1.       That Cabinet delegate authority to the Corporate Director (Housing) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources to finalise and agree the proposals set out in Table 1 and Table 2 of section 4.7 in the Cabinet report.

Resolved to recommend:

2.       The supplementary estimates for 2017/18 to establish budgets as detailed in the body of the Cabinet report and Table 1 & 2 (as amended pursuant to recommendation 1) be incorporated into budgets for 2018/19.

Decision

1.       That Cabinet delegate authority to the Corporate Director (Housing) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources to finalise and agree the proposals set out in Table 1 and Table 2 of section 4.7 in the Cabinet report.

Resolved to recommend:

2.       The supplementary estimates for 2017/18 to establish budgets as detailed in the body of the Cabinet report and Table 1 & 2 (as amended pursuant to recommendation 1) be incorporated into budgets for 2018/19.

Reason for Decision

For Members to consider the proposals in ring fenced funding made available for homeless prevention.

Corporate Objectives

Affordable Housing

Monitoring Officer/S.151 Officer Comments

Monitoring Officer:  The statutory changes are likely to give rise to a significant increase in legal challenges to decisions.  Accordingly, it is important that a reserve fund/budget is allocated to fund associated legal costs required to defend challenges.  This will need to be monitored over the next 12-18 months to assess if permanent additional staffing resource is required in the legal team.

Deputy S.151 Officer

The report sets out funding received and notified from central government that is ring fenced for specific purposes. The planned expenditure will have to be contained within the grant received.

Advice

Councillor Griffiths explained that the legislation was changing in October. Funding had been received from central Government and this report explained how this money would be used.

N Brathwaite explained that the increase in demand for homelessness and prevention services is set to grow significantly with the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act which came into force on 1 April 2017 and which the Council must comply with from 1 April 2018. 

M Gaynor added that the scale of the impact of this was significantly more than what the government had predicted. There would be more people in temporary accommodation and a longer time spent there. There would also be an impact on housing benefits and the ability to find people homes which they can afford. Therefore the more the council could prevent homelessness, the better.

N Brathwaite added that they believed the figures for homelessness cases will triple regarding the number spent in temporary accommodation and the time they spend there. Currently Dacorum had 100 households in temporary accommodation for an average of 6 months. Therefore the impact would be very high. The act would also give the council a wider remit as to those people who they could assist, which could result in an increase of more complex cases. She reported that she was already in contact with London Borough Councils as they were purchasing accommodation in the Dacorum area therefore restricting our options.

M Gaynor said that this was not bad legislation but just one that would have a massive impact.

E Brooks reported that the level of homelessness cases had recently already increased and the service were already seeing an impact on performance before the legislation has been introduced.

Councillor Harden asked if there had been any reassurance from government that the grant would continue.

N Brathwaite said there was assurance for 2 years but no mention for thereafter.

Councillor Griffiths referred to page 44 of the report and the £50k allocated for improvements to temporary accommodation and didn’t feel that this was a good use of resources.

E Brooks explained that this was allocated for Leys Rd temporary accommodation which was run down. The use of this money would be explored.

Members felt that the approval of table 2 should be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Finance and Resources, along with M Gaynor.

N Brathwaite said there were additional pressures to try and work with people during a 56 day timeframe to prevent homelessness. If they didn’t find accommodation then further investigation would be required. She would soon be meeting partners to increase the council’s portfolio of housing stock.

Voting

None.