Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing

Purpose of report

To seek approval for the expenditure of capital grant received from the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Round 4.

Recommendations

The Executive resolves:

1.1         To approve a capital grant to South Oxfordshire Housing Association (SOHA) of £342,100 for the delivery of new social housing within Cherwell from the grant received from MHCLG; Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4.

1.2         To approve that the remaining £319,900 grant be used to provide temporary accommodation units enabled by the Council, in accordance with grant criteria.

1.3         To approve the increase to the Council’s capital programme of £342,100 that arises from the report.

Resolved

(1)          That a capital grant to South Oxfordshire Housing Association (SOHA) of £342,100 for the delivery of new social housing within Cherwell from the grant received from MHCLG; Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4 be approved.

(2)          That it be approved that the remaining £319,900 grant be used to provide temporary accommodation units enabled by the Council, in accordance with grant criteria.

(3)          That the increase to the Council’s capital programme of £342,100 that arises from the report be approved.

The Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing submitted a report to seek approval for the expenditure of capital grant received from the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Round 4.

Resolved

(1)          That a capital grant to South Oxfordshire Housing Association (SOHA) of £342,100 for the delivery of new social housing within Cherwell from the grant received from MHCLG; Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4 be approved.

(2)          That it be approved that the remaining £319,900 grant be used to provide temporary accommodation units enabled by the Council, in accordance with grant criteria.

(3)          That the increase to the Council’s capital programme of £342,100 that arises from the report be approved.

Reasons

The report will enable more affordable housing within the district, which is required to address demand pressures. It will not directly enable the planned self-contained temporary accommodation purchase to take place, but will reduce the amount of its own capital that the Council has to use when doing so.

Alternative options

Option 1: Not to transfer the grant to SOHA and use another provider. All Registered Providers operating locally were given the opportunity to work with the Council and SOHA were the only ones to submit a compliant expression of interest. This is therefore rejected.

Option 2: The Council deliver all units. The Council is under time pressure to deliver units in accordance with the conditions of the grant and SOHA have an established reputation for delivery. The Council does have funds within the Capital Programme to purchase and develop temporary accommodation. Due to this, the report proposes to retain some of the grant to offset potential borrowing. However, the Council does not have capital within the capital programme for general property purchases (for resettlement households in this instance) and housing development that the grant could assist with. This is a requirement of the grant. This is therefore rejected.

Option 3: Not deliver any units. This would lead to the return of the grant to MHCLG. This would lead to the inability to offset any potential capital usage for temporary accommodation that is within the capital programme through grant usage. This is therefore rejected.