Purpose of the Report
To provide an update on the delivery of round one of the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme and to recommend the acceptance of further capital and associated revenue funding to deliver round two of the Programme.
Decision
That the acceptance of further capital grant funding of £735,000 and the associated revenue funding £192,823 (over three years), from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, to deliver round two of the Rough Sleepers Accommodation Programme, be approved.
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
The following alternative options were considered and rejected:
(i) To accept a reduced proportion of the capital and associated revenue grant funding to deliver a smaller number of units, and to request to contract on this basis, for example:
· twelve units and two full time equivalent support workers;
· nine units and 1.5 full time equivalent support workers; or
· six units and one full time equivalent support worker.
(ii) To decide not to pursue a scheme.
Reasons for the Decision
On 18 July 2020 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government launched the Next Steps Accommodation Programme, with the aim of providing move-on accommodation for rough sleepers who were being housed in emergency temporary accommodation. As part of this scheme, the City of Lincoln Council had received capital and revenue funding to deliver fifteen units of accommodation at a total anticipated cost of £1.6 million.
The Next Steps Accommodation Programme was renamed the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, and following successful pilots elsewhere, now incorporates a 'housing first' model which houses people directly into independent long-term settled accommodation with personalised, non-time limited support.
On 18 March 2021 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government invited bids as part of round two of the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, with most of the capital funding available in the financial year 2021-22 and revenue funding made available for the period 2021-24. Homes England, which administers the programme on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, announced on 7 June 2021 that the City of Lincoln Council had been successful in accessing capital funding of £735,000 and revenue funding of £192,823 to fund 2.5 full time equivalent support workers over the period 2021-24.
It was confirmed that the spread of the accommodation would be across the whole of the City and close to local amenities and bus routes, rather than concentrated in a single locality.