Decision details

Request for delegated authority to utilise the NSAP grant awarded by MHCLG/Homes England to further assist rough sleepers in Buckinghamshire. This will require the purchase of a property in Aylesbury and subsequent lease to a Registered Provider of Housing (RP) for use by rough sleepers and the use of s106 developer contributions funds for affordable housing for this purpose; as well as the grant funding to a different RP for them to purchase and make available to the Council 15 one bedroom units for use by former rough sleepers. The funds used will match fund the award from MHCLG/Homes England for these schemes.

In order to follow on from the ‘everyone in’ initiative to assist all rough sleepers into accommodation in March, the Council successfully applied to the “Next Steps Accommodation Programme” (NSAP) in August 2020 with proposals which have been accepted by MHCLG and Homes England, awarding over £2m to the Council and its partners for this purpose. This report asked Cabinet to agree delegated authority so that officers could move forward with this initiative.

RESOLVED

Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Planning, Growth and Sustainability and the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness;

• To grant fund Harrow Churches Housing Association £1.3m - using £650k of Next Steps Accommodation Programme grant awarded from MHCLG/Homes England and up to £650k of unallocated s.106 developer funding - for them to be able to purchase 15 one bedroom properties in the Wycombe and Aylesbury areas for move on from supported housing for former rough sleepers;

·         To grant fund Hightown Housing Association £650k of unallocated s.106 developer funding - for them to be able to purchase Ardenham House, Aylesbury match funding a £650,000 award from the Next Steps Accommodation Programme for this purpose, subject to contract with Hightown and in return for a nomination agreement on behalf of the Council in perpetuity.”

• That the two projects are added into the Capital Programme this year with agreement from the s.151 Officer and the Leader.