Decision details

Local Authority Housing fund (LAHF) Round 3 funding

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

In December 2022, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) launched the Local Authority Housing Fund. This was a £500 million capital fund for local authorities in England to obtain accommodation for families with housing needs who have arrived in the UK fleeing the war in Ukraine and families on Afghan resettlement and relocation schemes. The reason for this was to help ensure that those communities who had been generous in welcoming new arrivals were not ‘penalised’ with longer social housing  waiting lists.

 

Last year, Thanet District Council was awarded £694,000 as part of the second round of the LAHF project (approved by Cabinet members on 16th November 2023) and now it has been awarded £619,500 as part of the Government’s £450m two-year expansion to the scheme which aims to provide local authorities with a longer-term pipeline of support and to unlock more new supply and developments.

 

Given Thanet District Council’s proactive acquisitions programme, it has been able to

secure the four properties that are required of it through the criteria for round 3. These homes have been secured through Vistry at Westwood Point. 

 

Thanet is purchasing four properties: three x 3-bedroom properties (one for TA and two medium-sized resettlement properties) and one x 4-bedroom property (again, for the resettlement element).

Decision:

Cabinet agreed that:

 

1.  The Council proceeds with the acquisition of the four homes at Westwood Point - being acquired through Vistry for £1,255,000;

 

2.  The properties are provided as per the LAHF Round 3 funding criteria, i.e. one for temporary accommodation and three for resettlement purposes.

 

Reasons for the decision:

These recommendations will enable the council to purchase the units for Affordable Housing and participate in the Local Authority Housing Fund Scheme.

Alternative options considered:

Council could decide to not purchase the identified units as part of the  Local Authority Housing Fund. This option is not recommended as it would require the council to seek alternative units, which would put our compliance to complete on purchases by 30th March  at risk. We would then have to advise the central government that we are unable to participate in the scheme and the allocated grant funding will not be taken up.

 

Report author: Zoe Harrison

Publication date: 26/07/2024

Date of decision: 25/07/2024

Decided at meeting: 25/07/2024 - Cabinet

Effective from: 03/08/2024

Accompanying Documents: