Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

1.    To advise Executive about the Local Authority Housing Fund, to explain its benefits and process.

2.    To advise the Executive of the Council’s allocation under the Local Authority Housing Fund and request authority to proceed with the purchase of properties utilising this funding alongside a contribution from the Council.

Decision

1.    That the capital funding for the provision of additional local authority housing be accepted.

2.    That the Director of Housing and Investment be authorised, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, to approve the acquisition of nine properties, the resulting budget implications to be reflected in the Housing Investment Programme and the Housing Revenue Account.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reasons for the Decision

During 2022 the United Kingdom welcomed more than 150,000 Ukrainian into homes and communities under the Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine family schemes. Around 23,000 Afghans who worked with the UK Government and Armed Forces had also been welcomed. Working in partnership with other public sector and charity organisations, help was being provided to support those that had arrived from Ukraine and Afghanistan to find housing in the private sector.

The Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) introduced a £500 million capital fund, the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) for local authorities in England that were facing challenges to provide accommodation for those families with housing needs. This funding had been allocated under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 using a formula that had a blended grant per property model. It was left to local authorities to determine how the accommodation would be delivered using this grant.

Households on the following schemes were eligible for the housing:

·         Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme (including eligible British Nationals under this scheme) (ACRS)

·         Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)

·         Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS)

·         Homes for Ukraine (HFU)

·         Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES)

The Council would allocate the properties made available through this scheme in order of priority using the Homelessness Reduction Act and Lincoln Allocations Policy criteria.

The LAHF was announced in January 2023 with confirmation of funding being received in February 2023 which had resulted in the requirement to fast track the approval process to enable the allocation to be split across two financial years.