Issue - meetings

Report HPR2020/038

The report provided an update on the More Homes Bromley scheme for the acquisition and management of up to 400 properties for the Council’s homeless families.  The report also requested agreement to change the scheme from temporary accommodation to permit the Council to discharge its homelessness duties by offering tenancies on an assured shorthold basis and to change the rent levels for those properties. Rents charged on these properties will be in line with the applicable local housing allowance level.

The Committee noted that the main areas which had impacted on the running costs were the actual repairs and service charge costs which had originally been estimates.  Service charges had increased and there were some areas where the ongoing repairs were higher than predicted.

The Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration confirmed that with the More Homes Bromley portfolio there was the flexibility to let either as temporary accommodation, in discharge of duties at an affordable rent, or through to private rented to ensure that the rental income financed the scheme.  Temporary accommodation levels were frozen at considerably lower than market rents or Local Housing Allowance levels.  The proposal was to move to a discharge of duties where the tenancies were similar to those held by a private tenant with an assured shorthold tenancy which would mean that tenants could settle in their homes.  Members noted that a suitability assessment would be undertaken to ensure that, where the property remained suitable, all existing tenants could remain in the property.

The Committee noted that, in the interests of flexibility, a small number of units would be retained as temporary accommodation.  The transfer of the remaining units would be phased, starting in the new financial year. It was expected that the majority of the units would transfer within the next 6 months.

RESOLVED: That the Leader be recommended to agree the proposal from the Board of More Homes Bromley for the Council to allow  properties held under the More Homes Bromley scheme to be provided in discharge of the Councils statutory homelessness duties to provide suitable settled accommodation for these households, and to increase the rent levels.