Agenda item

Report attached.

Members considered a report of Councillor Melissa Fisher, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities, outlining the additional revenue grant funding the Council had been awarded by the former Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), now Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), to continue with the existing Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) project in the Borough which would currently provide 10 units of accommodation and support until 31^st March 2025.  The report also identified how the Council proposed to utilise this funding and sought approval to enter into agreement with Stepping Stone Projects (SSP) who were a registered charity (CN 1004375) and a company limited by guarantee to enable them to continue their support service to occupants of the RSAP accommodation which was provided to prevent and relieve homelessness.

Councillor Fisher gave a brief introduction to the report.  Councillors Whitehead and Walsh also spoke in favour of the decision and applauded the wider support work undertaken by the Council’s Housing Team and voluntary groups such as Maundy Relief.

Councillor Brerton declared a general interest in this matter (outside the scope of the Members’ Code of Conduct) as a former employee of Onward Homes.

Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

In 2018 the Government had published a national Rough Sleeping Strategy and Action Plan aiming to reduce rough sleeping and eliminate it by 2027.  The Government had committed funding for programmes such as the Next Steps Accommodation Programme, Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) programme and the RSAP to help achieve these aims.

Local authorities had been invited to apply for funds to address rough sleeping.  The RSAP and RSI programmes had been designed to fund complementary interventions and activities for this purpose.  There had been (and still was) a need in the Borough for accommodation for rough sleepers as a route off the street and to prevent people from sleeping rough.  Consequently, the Council had submitted applications and had been successful in securing both RSI and RSAP grant funding.

The Council using this funding had worked successfully with a number of local charitable agencies such as Stepping Stone Projects and Maundy Relief to prevent and relieve rough sleeping.  The RSAP accommodation and support project in Hyndburn had been successful in assisting a number of occupants to rebuild their lives and move on into independent housing.

The RSAP Programme provided for both capital and revenue funding to meet the cost of longer term accommodation and support to help rough sleepers rebuild their lives.  Local authorities were expected to work with accommodation providers and specialist agencies to end rough sleeping, especially where local authorities were no longer a landlord.

Hyndburn had secured initial funding for 2021/2022 to provide access to accommodation and support for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.  Cabinet approval had been granted to enter into a grant agreement with Stepping Stone Projects to deliver support to rough sleepers living in five properties.

The former Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) had invited Councils including those who had already been awarded grant to submit further proposals and bids for 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 for the RSAP.  Proposals could include securing additional grant to support an existing RSAP project.

The Council had been awarded revenue grant to expand the existing RSAP project to provide access to accommodation and support for 5 more people who had been rough sleeping or were at risk of rough sleeping.  This additional grant covered the cost of support from Stepping Stone Projects and furnishing additional accommodation.  Cabinet approval had been granted to enter into a grant agreement with Stepping Stone Projects.

The former DLUHC had advised the Council earlier this year that funding had been made available to councils to extend the RSAP for another financial year.  Hyndburn had been awarded grant of £75,000 until the 31^st March 2025 to enable the continuation of Stepping Stone Project’s support to 10 RSAP occupants.

Provision of support by SSP to vulnerable people living in RSAP accommodation contributed to the Council’s response to preventing and reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. Furthermore, it would help to aid people’s recovery, build positive lives, and prevent people from returning to homelessness and rough sleeping.

It also directly contributed towards the Council’s corporate health and well-being priority by addressing health inequalities of vulnerable people who lived in RSAP accommodation.

The Grant would enable SSP to extend their existing support services to the RSAP client cohort.

Alternative Options considered and Reasons for Rejection

The Council could decide to reject this additional RSAP funding for 2024/25 but this would not maximise the funding available to the Council and potentially put at risk accommodation provision for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.

RSAP funded interventions supported Hyndburn’s Prevention of Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.  It was widely recognised that housing and support for vulnerable people provided a quicker and more effective service to ensure vulnerable residents could move forward with their lives, and in the case of rough sleeping, preventing a cycle of rough sleeping.

Given the success of the RSAP project it was proposed to award the funding by way of grant to Stepping Stone Projects which would allow them to continue to support people they were currently working with until the end of March 2025.  Targeting this grant in this way avoided potential disruption for each RSAP occupant and provided sufficient time to develop an exit strategy option over the next six months in the event that funding could not be secured to continue the RSAP project beyond March 2025

Resolved                                   -    That Cabinet:

(1)   Notes that the Council has been awarded additional grant of £75,000 until the 31^st March 2025 from the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme.

(2)   Approves the Council entering into a grant funding agreement with Stepping Stone Projects to support RSAP occupants who have been rough sleeping or who are at risk of rough sleeping.

(3)   Delegates authority to the Head of Regeneration and Housing in consultation with the Executive Director (Legal and Democratic Services) to draw up and finalise and execute agreements to grant Stepping Stone Projects funding to continue the support they are currently providing.