Agenda item

RESOLVED:           1)       That the Council enter a Memorandum of Understanding with MHCLG based on the prospectus for the Local Authority Housing Fund (see appendix to the report). Authority be delegated to the Executive Director (Place) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing People and Communities to agree the final terms of the Memorandum of Understanding with MHCLG.

2)       That the Council accept the total sum of £1,694,876 offered to the Council by MHCLG under the Local Authority Housing Fund to deliver the programme understanding the match funding requirements as set out in the report and attached prospectus.

3)       That, subject to agreement from West Norfolk Housing Company, the properties will be acquired by West Norfolk Housing Company, funded by the grant, debt financing and other available funding.

4)       That Authority be delegated to Assistant Director Resources & S151 Officer in consultation with the portfolio holder for Finance to agree terms with West Norfolk Housing Company for the transfer of properties on the Council’s developments including arrangements for deferred consideration if necessary.

5)       That West Norfolk Housing Company be requested to work with the Council to deliver the properties through the fund.

6)       That Cabinet agree to the principle of allocating 4 properties acquired through the fund to eligible Afghan households.

7)       That Authority be delegated to the Executive Director (Place) to alter the proposed Florence Fields tenure mix, originally agreed by Cabinet on the 17^th January 2023, where necessary, to facilitate the disposal of properties previously identified as Private Rent and/or Open Market Sale, to West Norfolk Housing Company (WNHC) as affordable housing

 Reason for Decision

The recommendations will ensure that the opportunity presented by the Local Authority Housing Fund to deliver affordable housing in the borough will be fully realised and will help to relieve pressures on the council’s homelessness services.

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Councillor Rust presented the report which provided information on the funding offered to BCKLWN in August 2024 through Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Round 3. The programme had been established by the Ministry Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to support Local Authorities to acquire homes to accommodate households with housing needs who had arrived in the UK Afghan resettlement and relocation schemes and provide temporary accommodation homes for homeless households.

The Council had been offered grant of £1.7m to acquire 8 homes to be used for temporary accommodation for homeless households and 4 properties for Afghan households (Total 12). This was subject to acceptance of terms by the Council through a Memorandum of Understanding. The purpose of the report was to seek approval to accept the grant and inform the Cabinet of the requirements of the grant funding and potential delivery options. 

Councillor Rust commented that she had visited some of the properties recently  purchased in the recent round of funding.  She informed Cabinet that the Environment and Community Panel had asked if the Council had considered purchasing older properties, to which she explained that the risks with older properties was greater and they needed to meet certain energy efficiency standards as well as having to be purchased in tight the timeframes.  She made reference to the hope to eradicate homelessness in the Borough.

Councillor Morley suggested that recommendation 6 be changed to the cabinet agrees to the principle of offering four properties acquired through the fund.  Councillor Rust responded that there was a legal requirement to provide home for people who had fled from Afghanistan.  Previously the council had offered properties with no uptake, but whilst there were no takers, they were converted to stock.

The Housing Services Manager reminded Members that it was a stipulation of the funding requirement to allocate to those Afghan families in Home Office accommodation. She drew attention to the Lettings Policy which had  been agreed and ensured consistency across the 3 rounds. She also confirmed that in the previous rounds the properties had been transferred to the housing stock. 

Councillor Morley acknowledged that the EIA had made it clear.

Councillor Beales commented that the size of the allocation was one of the larger in the country related to the delivery of houses through the companies.  He drew attention to the benefit of quality homes such as those now being built.  He drew attention to the additional units to be able to offer homes to homeless persons and the social value to this.

RESOLVED:           1)       That the Council enter a Memorandum of Understanding with MHCLG based on the prospectus for the Local Authority Housing Fund (see appendix to the report). Authority be delegated to the Executive Director (Place) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing People and Communities to agree the final terms of the Memorandum of Understanding with MHCLG.

2)       That the Council accept the total sum of £1,694,876 offered to the Council by MHCLG under the Local Authority Housing Fund to deliver the programme understanding the match funding requirements as set out in the report and attached prospectus.

3)       That, subject to agreement from West Norfolk Housing Company, the properties will be acquired by West Norfolk Housing Company, funded by the grant, debt financing and other available funding.

4)       That Authority be delegated to Assistant Director Resources & S151 Officer in consultation with the portfolio holder for Finance to agree terms with West Norfolk Housing Company for the transfer of properties on the Council’s developments including arrangements for deferred consideration if necessary.

5)       That West Norfolk Housing Company be requested to work with the Council to deliver the properties through the fund.

6)       That Cabinet agree to the principle of allocating 4 properties acquired through the fund to eligible Afghan households.

7)       That Authority be delegated to the Executive Director (Place) to alter the proposed Florence Fields tenure mix, originally agreed by Cabinet on the 17^th January 2023, where necessary, to facilitate the disposal of properties previously identified as Private Rent and/or Open Market Sale, to West Norfolk Housing Company (WNHC) as affordable housing

 Reason for Decision

The recommendations will ensure that the opportunity presented by the Local Authority Housing Fund to deliver affordable housing in the borough will be fully realised and will help to relieve pressures on the council’s homelessness services.