Agenda item
Homelessness Grant and Flexible Support Grant 2019/20 - Pre-scrutiny
Minutes:
The report sought approval for the programme
of grant funding to
organisations providing homelessness
prevention services for 2019/20.
The Housing Strategy
Manager introduced the report which set out how
it was proposed that the homelessness resources would be
funded. Thereport referred to
the programme of grant funding to organisations
providinghomelessness prevention services for
Bromsgrove. In addition to the Homelessness Grant there were
additional resources which had been made available to the Council
and the report set out the background to those additional grants
together with details of how it was proposed they would be used. As
BDHT was the Council’s recognised provider for this service
the funds would be transferred to them in order for them to deal
with matters effectively on the Council’s behalf.
It was noted that the Council received an annual homelessness grant and an additional two grants for 2019/20 as follows:
|
Homelessness Grant |
£112,010 |
|
Flexible
Homelessness Support |
£83,012 |
|
Homelessness
Reduction Act |
£18,035 |
Members asked for details in respect of the current number of rough sleepers in the District. It was noted that according to the latest figures collected in 2018, there were zero people estimated to be sleeping rough on a particular date. The Housing Strategy Manager explained how the data was collected and the methodologies used to collate the rough sleeping statistics. The data captured was a snapshot provided by partner agencies and was not a physical count of rough sleepers.
Nonetheless, it was accepted that if the data was gathered on a different night the figure might be different. Members raised concern that, as the data was not done by a physical count it was not a true reflection of rough sleepers in the District. Members proposed that it would be prudent for the Council to do a physical count of the number of people sleeping rough in the District in order to get accurate data.
In respect of the grant funding received, it was clarified that this was not based on the number of people sleeping rough in the District, but was a figure set each year. It was explained that it was difficult to find a suitable way to calculate the funding for each authority, as if it was calculated on the number of rough sleepers then it could be viewed as providing funding to authorities that were not addressing the matter and those that had invested in preventative work were being penalised.
It was clarified that the grant in respect of the Basement Drop in Service was £35,000. Members noted that this was an increase of £15k from the previous year. The Basement Drop in Service provided support to young people at risk of homelessness and it was important that the funding was provided to them by the Council in order to tackle homelessness for young people up to the age of 25.
Members sought clarification in respect of the Flexible Homelessness Support Grant and how it improved employment opportunities through the New Starts project and asked for details of the number of young people that had been helped, together with a breakdown of categories. Officers agreed to provide this information outside of the meeting.
The Housing Strategy Manager confirmed that currently there continued to be temporary accommodation for the homeless at the Hostel on the Burcot Lane Site. BDHT provided most of the accommodation and would be potentially looking to provide 36 units in total, as had been discussed at a previous meeting, when the Burcot Lane Site was redeveloped.
RESOLVED that the Homelessness Grant and Flexible Support Grant 2019/20 be noted.
RECOMMENDEDthat the Council carry out a physical count of the number of people sleeping rough in the area in order to get a record.
Supporting documents:
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