Agenda item

EEBC continues to have a significant financial outlay on temporary accommodation costs to meet its homelessness obligations under the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. The level of expenditure exceeded the budget set for 2023/24 and it will be a significant challenge to meet 2024/25 budget targets. This report sets out the anticipated costs for 2024/25 and outlines the actions taken to minimise homelessness expenditure.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Note the use of Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) and reserves to cover the anticipated expenditure, for 2024/25, to enable the Council to meet its duties under the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

(2)       Agree that a further update regarding nightly paid accommodation (NPA) expenditure be provided at the Community & Wellbeing Committee in March 2025.

The Committee received a report setting out the anticipated costs for 2024/25 and outlining the actions taken to minimise homelessness expenditure.

The Committee considered the following matters:

a)            Limited Affordable Housing Options. A Member enquired as to whether any groups were affected in particular by the limited affordable housing options in the Borough. The Strategic Housing Manager stated that the issue affects households of all sizes. He explained that, for the Council, family-size units incur the highest cost.

b)            Homelessness Population Figure. The Committee acknowledged that the homelessness population number was not static – the Chair explained that as people leave homelessness, new people enter into homelessness.

c)            Government’s 2024 Autumn Statement. The Strategic Housing Manager stated that officers were anticipating the release of the Government’s 2024 Autumn Statement, and were hopeful that there would be an increase to the Homelessness Prevention Grant (‘HPG’), a favourable distribution around the Affordable Housing Programme, and a higher priority afforded to social rented housing.

d)            HPG Expenditure. The Strategic Housing Manager stated that regardless of how much money the Council receives through the HPG, the Council shall provide support to all to whom it is duty-bound to protect. The Senior Accountant stated that the current forecast suggested that the Council would spend the remainder of the Grant - he explained that expenditure was being monitored and considered in the planning of the coming year’s budget.

e)            Rough Sleeper Population. Following a question from a Member, the Strategic Housing Manager stated that Epsom & Ewell has a relatively low rough-sleeper population.

f)             Landlords Forum. In response to a Member, the Strategic Housing Manager stated that the Landlords Forum held in September had been successful and was well attended. He explained that the event promoted the Private Sector Leasing Scheme and the Rent Deposit Scheme, both of which play a key role in reducing and preventing homelessness.

g)            Housing Options (Move On) Officer. In response to a Member, the Strategic Housing Manager stated that the possibility of making the ‘Housing Options (Move On) Officer’ a permanent role was being explored. He stated that the role, since its inception, had been greatly successful in reducing and preventing homelessness in the Borough.

h)            Joint Working with Housing Providers. The Strategic Housing Manager stated that the Council work collaboratively with Town & Country Housing, along with other smaller housing providers.

i)             Empty Properties. The Strategic Housing Manager confirmed that all empty properties on the empty properties list had been written to. He confirmed that 15 properties had been removed from the list, but overall the figure remained consistent as additional properties had been added to the list.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Note the use of Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) and reserves to cover the anticipated expenditure, for 2024/25, to enable the Council to meet its duties under the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

(2)      Agree that a further update regarding nightly paid accommodation (NPA) expenditure be provided at the Community & Wellbeing Committee in March 2025.