Issue - meetings

A report on the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) grants to some local authorities to increase the supply of affordable housing through the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF).

Cabinet:

1.     AGREED to the Council receiving LAHF R2 grant to purchase up to three homes.

2.     AGREED that authority be delegated to the Director for Corporate Services to sign the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

3.     APPROVED the capital investment of up to £390,000 of Section 106 commuted sums and Flexible Housing Fund awards to match fund the total available LAHF R2 grant funding of £360,000 in order to acquire up to three dwellings.

4.     AGREED that authority be delegated to the Director for Housing and Communities in consultation with the Director for Corporate Services and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services, to purchase up to three houses in accordance with the grant agreement and within the total budget, and to add these to the Council’s housing stock.

5.     AGREED that authority be delegated to the Director for Housing and Communities to develop and implement a ‘Local Lettings Policy’ to enable the direct allocations of two homes funded through this arrangement to Afghan households who are being assisted through the ARAP and ACRS schemes.

The Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services introduced the report the purpose of which proposed a programme to purchase three homes up to a total value of £750,000 using LAHF R2 funding of £360,000 and match funding of £390,000 from Section 106 commuted sums together with funding from the Flexible Housing Fund.

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance, Property and Resources thanked the officers for their tenacity in identifying the match funding which had enabled the Government funding to proceed.

The Director for Housing and Communities, Deputy Chief Executive, advised that the commitment was to ensure that best value was achieved in terms of the purchase of the properties, so that the properties would meet the decent homes standards and the management costs would all be met within the boundaries of the funding available.

The Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services confirmed that the framework in place would allow for the purchase of 3 decent homes within the boundaries set.

Cabinet:

1.     AGREED to the Council receiving LAHF R2 grant to purchase up to three homes.

2.     AGREED that authority be delegated to the Director for Corporate Services to sign the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

3.     APPROVED the capital investment of up to £390,000 of Section 106 commuted sums and Flexible Housing Fund awards to match fund the total available LAHF R2 grant funding of £360,000 in order to acquire up to three dwellings.

4.     AGREED that authority be delegated to the Director for Housing and Communities in consultation with the Director for Corporate Services and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services, to purchase up to three houses in accordance with the grant agreement and within the total budget, and to add these to the Council’s housing stock.

5.     AGREED that authority be delegated to the Director for Housing and Communities to develop and implement a ‘Local Lettings Policy’ to enable the direct allocations of two homes funded through this arrangement to Afghan households who are being assisted through the ARAP and ACRS schemes.

Reason for Recommendations:

Delivering three new homes with the aid of grant funding will help to meet the corporate priority of providing high quality council homes and landlord services.

The LAHF R2 programme is intended to deliver accommodation which will be available to the Council in the long term and can be used to meet housing need beyond the initial period where they are required to accommodate refugees.