Agenda item - Support service for people in temporary accommodation

Report of the Executive Director Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing (copy attached)

Contact Officer: Jerry Aldous                      Tel: 01273 296949

RESOLVED: That the Committee -

1.    Noted the contents of the report and agreed that £0.250m is added to the council’s 2019/20 budget proposals in order to expand the options for providing support for people in emergency and temporary accommodation for one year only.

2.    Delegated to the Executive Director for Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing the decision to determine the most appropriate option to achieve a support service within the £0.250m budget, if approved.

111.1  The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director for Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing which looked at ways that the Council could help vulnerable homeless people living in temporary and emergency accommodation. The Committee were advised that there was a typing error in paragraph 2.2, and the correct title of the Executive Director of Housing was ‘Executive Director for Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing’.

111.2  Councillor Sykes referred to the 2016/17 budget when the previous manifestation of this service was cut, and noted that the delivery risk at that time was that ‘homelessness may increase as a result of vulnerable households not being provided with adequate support’ and said he was very pleased that the funding had now gone back in. However, he said that at a previous committee it had been suggested that the earlier cut was down to the previous administration and he wanted to make it clear that that was not the case and in 2015/16 there was no cut to this budget line.

111.3  RESOLVED: That the Committee -

1.    Noted the contents of the report and agreed that £0.250m is added to the council’s 2019/20 budget proposals in order to expand the options for providing support for people in emergency and temporary accommodation for one year only.

2.    Delegated to the Executive Director for Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing the decision to determine the most appropriate option to achieve a support service within the £0.250m budget, if approved.