Agenda item

To approve the Temporary Accommodation Policy as outlined in the report.

Approval was sought to the adoption of the Council’s Temporary Accommodation Policy, in response to the requirement for all local authorities to have and keep up to date, a policy.

The policy covered:

·               factors to be taken into account when making placements, including type, size and location of accommodation;

·               length of stay in temporary accommodation;

·               offers and refusals; and

·               procurement of temporary accommodation.

When considering the factors taken into account when making placements, the policy covered and considered individual risk to households, the needs of children under the Children Act 2004, health and support needs, affordability and access to employment.  Specific to the actual property, the policy provided the necessary steer on the type, size and physical condition of property to be offered.

More recently, the Housing Solutions Service had expended a considerable amount of resource to reduce the use of outsourced temporary accommodation (TA).  This had involved a focus on sourcing TA from within the Council’s own stock (almost exclusively two bedroom flats and around 40 units in total). This approach would be significantly enhanced with the development of the Council’s own specific TA facility at Applewood Grove when it became operational and would provide a further 21 units of temporary accommodation.

In all instances except where a risk assessment or household need requirement required otherwise, the new Applewood Grove facility would be the preferred option by the Council for TA. Where the use of Applewood Grove could not be facilitated, the Council would endeavor to source accommodation from within its own stock and from its contracted arrangements to source accommodation from the private rented sector.  The fourth and last option would be to use bed and breakfast accommodation.

In response to a question raised by the Chair of the Children’s Services and Education Scrutiny Board, the Cabinet member for Quality Homes and Thriving Neighbourhoods confirmed:-

·               Applewood Grove was expected to be operational by the end of July 2021, having access to this accommodation was important to the delivery of the Temporary Accommodation Policy;

·               the Council was continuing to make best use of its own stock, including some of our more difficult to let units, to discharge its duty to homeless households. This approach, alongside increasing access to good quality private sector accommodation had significantly reduced the number of people in temporary accommodation and the length of time before offers of more sustainable accommodation were made to homeless households.  The Council would continue to look at the issue of age limit too when letting properties.

Reason for Decision

It was a statutory requirement for each local authority to produce and publish a Temporary Accommodation Policy setting out the requirements that it needed to consider when allocating and procuring temporary accommodation. 

Alternative Options Considered

There were no alternative options, it was a statutory requirement for a local authority to publish a Temporary Accommodation Policy. The adoption of the Policy would ensure that the Council was not open to any form of legal challenge in this context.

                           Agreed:-

(1)          that approval be given for the Council to adopt the Temporary Accommodation Policy as now submitted;

(2)          that the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Homes, be authorised to review and approve subsequent Temporary Accommodation Policy reviews and amendments except where the changes are major or involve amended legislation.