Issue - meetings

To seek delegation for the spend of the awarded Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) grant to the s151 Officer and Cabinet member for Housing and Planning. This will allow the Council to increase the social housing stock to support the provision of accommodation to Ukraine and Afghan families.

Purpose of report

To seek delegation for the spend of the awarded Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) grant to the Section 151 Officer and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning. This would allow the Council to increase the social housing stock to support the provision of accommodation to Ukraine and Afghan families.

Decision

That Cabinet delegates authority to the Council’s Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning to acquire properties utilising the allocated Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) grant funding, in accordance with the grant agreement arrangements.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The LAHF was a Government fund provided to aid local authorities to meet the significant challenges presented as a result of the Afghan and Ukraine schemes.

If the Council was unable to purchase the properties through this scheme, the housing need that the properties were designed to meet was likely to arise anyway. The homes provided under the scheme would make a net positive contribution to housing available to the Council to meet need, therefore supporting the Council in meeting the needs of the wider population.

In light of the above, there were no other options considered.

Reasons for decision

By enabling the delegation, the Council would be able to react to emerging opportunities at short notice with the aim of fully utilising the LAHF grant funding awarded.

A full property market appraisal would take place, with full valuations included; officers were currently in negotiations with the developer to source new properties rather than buy from older stock.