Issue - meetings

Report CS18052

The Executive received a report providing an update on the use of temporary accommodation and housing support to meet current housing need and homelessness pressures across the Borough.  The report also set out key actions being undertaken to mitigate the growing pressures on housing supply and requested approval for officers to progress a number of schemes to assist in addressing the current pressures

The Executive noted that in common with all London Boroughs, Bromley had experienced a significant increase in the number of households at risk of homelessness or requiring temporary accommodation in recent years.  This was expected to continue to increase as further welfare reforms were introduced and in light of increased duties that would be placed on all local authorities when the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 came into force in 2018.  Detailed guidance on the Act was not expected until early in the New Year, but a significant amount of additional duties was anticipated.

To address this, the Council had undertaken a wide range of work including early intervention measures to prevent homelessness and significantly increasing temporary accommodation stocks within Bromley and the surrounding area.  The Council continued to work closely with developers and housing associations to maximise the supply of affordable housing in new development schemes.  A number of housing providers and developers were also committed to working with the Local Authority to bring forward property acquisition and refurbishment schemes, for which ten proposed core principles had been developed to assist in the timely progression of schemes before they were reported to Members.

It was confirmed that there were now over 1,500 households in temporary accommodation; Members commented that this figure contained people in a range of circumstances, and requested data broken down into more detailed categories. They also requested comparative data with neighbouring boroughs. This information would be available for the next update in November.

The report had been scrutinised by the Care Services PDS Committee on 5^th September 2017, and the Committee had supported the proposals.

RESOLVED that

(1) The updates provided regarding the current homeless pressures and actions being undertaken to address these pressures be noted;

(2) The core principles identified as an option in seeking alternative accommodation provision from providers be agreed; and

(3) Officers proceed in investigating and reporting back on any proposal from a provider that meets the core principles following the necessary due diligence arrangements.