Democracy in Crawley

How decisions are made and who represents you

Decision details

Property Acquisition to Increase the Council’s Portfolio of Temporary Accommodation

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

The report seeks approval to purchase a property on the open market to be used for Temporary Accommodation. The purchase will be funded through the approved budget for Temporary Accommodation

Decision:

Exempt Part B - By Virtue of Paragraph 3

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Cabinet delegates the negotiation, approval and completion of all relevant legal documentation to complete the purchase/acquisition, to the Head of Strategic Housing Services, Head of Legal, Governance and HR and Head of Corporate Finance, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Housing.

 

(Generic Delegations 2 & 3 will be used to enact this recommendation)

 

 

Reasons for the Recommendations

 

The Council currently has 279 households in temporary accommodation, 100 of these in nightly paid accommodation, including 30 out of borough placements. This represents the highest level of need and demand for temporary accommodation faced by the Council to date.

The average net cost of nightly paid accommodation to the council per household per week is £211.50 equating to £21,150.00 per week / £1.1m per year for current numbers. This figure does not include any additional financial burdens arising from non-payment of contributions or ineligibility for benefits.

A raft of measures is being progressed both locally and at a countywide level to reduce the pressure on nightly paid accommodation. This report is focused on one of these work strands, namely to expand the portfolio of Council owned temporary accommodation.

This detached two storey property will provide an additional 6 units of temporary accommodation.

 

 

Report author: Ian Duke1

Publication date: 09/09/2021

Date of decision: 08/09/2021

Decided at meeting: 08/09/2021 - Cabinet

  • Restricted enclosure  View reasons restricted
  •