Issue - meetings

This report proposes two amendments to the Private Sector Housing Grants Assistance Policy.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)          Approve the recommended amendments to the Private Sector Housing Grants Assistance Policy, so as to:

(i) Increase the level of discretionary top up funding to £30,000 (or more in exceptional circumstances, provided it would not cause the Council to exceed its overall DFG grant allocation);

(ii) Where reference is made to the term “legal charge”, replace with the term “land charge”.

(2)          Agree to delegate any necessary minor amendments to the Council’s Private Sector Housing Grants Assistance Policy following changes in law or good practice, to the Head of Housing & Community in consultation with the Chair of the Community and Wellbeing Committee.

The Committee received a report proposing two amendments to the Private Sector Housing Grants Assistance Policy.

The following matters were considered:

a)            Clarification of Recommendation (1)(i) of the report: Following a question from a member, the Head of Housing and Community clarified the “exceptional circumstances” mentioned in Recommendation (1)(i) are expected to occur very seldomly (predicted as once a year) and that the expected increase would typically be £5000 to £10,000. He explained the recommendation to increase the top up funding above £30,000 in exceptional circumstances is in place in the interest of flexibility, to prevent the process from stopping until such a time as the policy can be revised, as payments of these grants are often time sensitive. The Committee considered that the wording surrounding the “exceptional circumstances” should be clarified in the interest of the prevention of challenges in future that could be caused by lack of clarity.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)          Approve the recommended amendments to the Private Sector Housing Grants Assistance Policy, so as to:

(i) Increase the level of discretionary top up funding to £30,000 (or more in exceptional circumstances, provided it would not cause the Council to exceed its overall DFG grant allocation);

(ii) Where reference is made to the term “legal charge”, replace with the term “land charge”.

(2)          Agree to delegate any necessary minor amendments to the Council’s Private Sector Housing Grants Assistance Policy following changes in law or good practice, to the Head of Housing & Community in consultation with the Chair of the Community and Wellbeing Committee.