Agenda item

To approve plans for the use of the Homelessness Prevention Grant and to delegate authority for any changes to the Head of Community Services in consultation with the Lead Member for Housing.

That planned use of the Homelessness Prevention Grant be APPROVED and that authority for any changes be delegated to the Head of Community Services in consultation with the Lead Member for Housing.  

43.1           The report of the Housing Services Manager, circulated at Pages No. 81-83, detailed a spending plan which the Executive Committee was asked to approve to ensure grant conditions were met.

43.2           The Housing Services Manager explained that the Homelessness Prevention Grant fund was received annually from the Department of Levelling Up, Homes and Communities and was to be spent in-year to help manage homelessness pressures. The breakdown of planned costs was set out within the report at Paragraphs 2.1-2.7. Temporary accommodation costs - Members were advised that some applicants were not eligible and housing benefit subsidy did not cover 100% of temporary accommodation costs so there was a shortfall that needed to be met; enhanced hours within the Housing Advice team – prevention activity contributed to a number of hours across different roles in the Housing Advice team and the grant had been used to increase the hours for current staff to meet the demands of the service and maintain prevention focussed activity instead of only statutory functions; contribution to the partnership team – this was established as a result of the COVID-19 response and coordinated district action on a variety of housing matters including managing contracts such as the Rough Sleeping Outreach Service and Domestic Abuse Places of Safety Scheme which was key to supporting homelessness prevention work locally; new Rough Sleeping Prevention Officer pilot role – the new role would be focussed on preventing rough sleeping through liaising with landlords, mediation with family and sourcing alternative accommodation options, in the rare event of applicants being verified as rough sleeping, the role would be able to work closely with other agencies to provide direct support; homelessness prevention activity – this was the direct action and assistance made by Housing Advice Officers to support households that had applied as homeless – this mainly included paying for deposits and rent in advance to help access the private rented sector, or paying rent arrears to help an applicant remain in their tenancy or move to somewhere more affordable – it could include more creative uses such as funding transport to accommodation that was available or improving security within a property; and Domestic Abuse Rural Champions – the roles were based within Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Services which provided support to victims of domestic abuse in Gloucestershire and working in partnership with the district Councils to create a zero tolerance community approach to domestic abuse in rural areas, the funding would help develop a Rural Champions Network to identify professionals and members of the public and train them to understand domestic abuse and develop pathways for referrals.

43.3           A Member questioned where the contributions to the partnership team went and, in response, the Housing Services Manager explained that it supported the countywide contract e.g. commissioning new Places of Safety Schemes which were a network of properties the partnership helped fund and commission. The Council gained great benefits from the partnership which it would not be able to achieve on its own. Each of the authorities in the County contributed so the payment was a small sum compared to the gains. Another Member questioned what Councillors should do if they were informed of a rough sleeper at the weekend. In response, the Head of Community Services advised that they should contact the Council’s out of hours number so the appropriate action could be taken.

43.4           Accordingly, upon being proposed and seconded, it was