Issue - meetings

The Cabinet is to consider a report on Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3.

Executive Councillor: S Wakeford

The Cabinet has

(a)  agreed that Huntingdonshire District Council confirm its participation in the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3 (LAHF R3) and to future LAHF rounds subject to finding a Registered Provider(s) willing to work with the Council to deliver the homes;

(b)  delegated the signing of all documents in relation to the LAHF R3 and any subsequent rounds of funding to the Corporate Director (Place) and the Regeneration and Housing Delivery Manager in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Economy, Regeneration and Housing;

(c)  agreed that the Council provide support to the residents either directly through the Community Team; or in directly through another body; and be responsible for the processing of any grant claims associated with these households under Government grant schemes; and

(d)  delegated the signing of all documents that enable the Council to accept Government Funding and to use that funding to facilitate the delivery of affordable housing to the Corporate Director (Place) and the Regeneration and Housing Delivery Manager in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Economy, Regeneration and Housing.

Consideration was given to a report by the Regeneration and Housing Delivery Manager and Resources Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) detailing information on participation of the Government’s Local Authority Housing Fund in Round 3 in anticipation of the acquisition of a small number of homes under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

Members attention was drawn to comments raised by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environment, Communities and Partnerships), in particular clarification on the tenancies of the units.

The Cabinet further noted that the Council would be working with Registered Providers to support the acquisition of the units and in response to a question from Councillor T D Sanderson on an update on whether Stonewater Housing Association, it was reported that he would have to defer to ongoing discussion that Officers were continuing with, but was hopeful for a resolution.

Accordingly, the Cabinet has

RESOLVED

(a)  that Huntingdonshire District Council’s participation in the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3 (LAHF R3) and to future LAHF rounds subject to finding a Registered Provider(s) willing to work with the Council to deliver the homes be approved;

(b)  that the signing of all documents in relation to the LAHF R3 and any subsequent rounds of funding be delegated to the Corporate Director (Place) and the Regeneration and Housing Delivery Manager in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Economy, Regeneration and Housing;

(c)  that the Council be authorised to provide support to the residents either directly through the Community Team; or in directly through another body; and be responsible for the processing of any grant claims associated with these households under Government grant schemes; and

(d)  that the signing of all documents that enable the Council to accept Government Funding and to use that funding to facilitate the delivery of affordable housing be delegated to the Corporate Director (Place) and the Regeneration and Housing Delivery Manager in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Economy, Regeneration and Housing.

The Panel is invited to comment on the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3 Report.

Execuitve Councillor: S Wakeford

By means of a report by the Regeneration and Housing Delivery Manager (a copy of which was appended in the Minute Book), the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3 Report was presented to the Panel.

Councillor Shaw expressed his support for the scheme and enquired whether the appropriate volunteer groups had capacity to support these residents. In response to which, the Panel were assured that there was constant communication with volunteer groups who are in place to ensure support is provided. 

Following an enquiry from Councillor Alban, it was clarified to the Panel that Temporary Accommodation was transitory short term accommodation and that Permanent Accommodation was a permanent tenancy agreement. It was further clarified that these accommodations were part funded by grants and partly by the Housing Associations, and that Huntingdonshire’s investment in the project was limited to Officer time and resource. 

In response to a question from Councillor Tevlin, it was confirmed that the plan contained within the report was fully scoped and funded and that as Home Office funding had already been utilised for other parts of the scheme, there was no reason to suggest that this would change with the continuation of the programme. 

The Panel heard, in response to a question from Councillor McAdam, that the permanent accommodation properties secured for the scheme would be under

ten years old. The Panel further heard  that this round of the programme was a wo year programme and would be very similar to the first round. 

Following a question from Councillor Shaw, the Panel were advised that the Housing Associations had not requested additional funding from the Council to

implement this programme but that any such requests would be assessed on a case by case basis. 

Whereupon it was

RESOLVED

that the Panel’s comments would be communicated to the Cabinet in order for an informed decision to be made on the report recommendations.