Agenda item

Report attached.

Councillor Kath Pratt, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Health and Wellbeing, provided a report outlining the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) 2022 - 2025 and Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) 2022 - 2024 grant funding, which the Council had recently been awarded by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

 

The report identified how the Council proposed to utilise both funding programmes and sought approval to enter into agreements with Stepping Stone Projects and Maundy Relief to support their activities in the relief and prevention of rough sleeping.

 

Councillor Pratt highlighted that, with the effects of the cost of living crisis, more individuals were at risk of rough sleeping.  The Council currently met its responsibilities, in part, through external bodies, including Stepping Stone Projects, Maundy Relief and others.  The Council had received some £423k grant funding over a three year period under the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) and a further £80k over 2 years via the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP).  As well as the existing support, some RSI funding was earmarked for new schemes including the flexible surge accommodation fund and support into employment and training for rough sleepers

 

Councillor Peter Britcliffe welcomed the initiatives and the work of the various charity organisations and their volunteers.  He commented that even with the support available some individuals, unfortunately, chose to sleep rough.  This was their right in a free country, but bedding in shop doorways was unsightly.  However, Hyndburn had received Government funding over a number of years to help tackle the issue.  Councillor Fisher remarked that not all rough sleepers had chosen a life on the street and that more support was required.  Councillor Loraine Cox added that the Maundy Navigator Service knew the location of rough sleepers and went out every night to offer support and a bed for the night.

 

Approval of the report was not deemed a key decision.

 

Reasons for Decision

 

Rough Sleeping Grant Programmes

 

In 2018 the Government had published their national Rough Sleeping Strategy and Action Plan aiming to halve rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament 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 Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP).

 

Local authorities had been invited to apply for funds to address rough sleeping.  The RSAP and RSI programmes were designed to fund complementary interventions and activities for this purpose.  There continued to be 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 submitted applications and had been successful in securing both RSI and RSAP grant funding.

 

The Council had successfully worked with a number of local charitable agencies such as Stepping Stone Projects and Maundy Relief to prevent and reduce rough sleeping.  The overall aim was to extend those activities.  The latest RSI and RSAP programmes offered funding for more than one financial year and this enabled existing activities to be maintained as well as new activities to be planned and introduced.

 

Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) Funding 2022 - 2025

 

The RSI funding programme aimed to provide additional bed spaces for rough sleepers with tailored support including help with mental health problems, addiction services, tenancy support, and access to training and employment.

 

Hyndburn had previously been awarded funding under the RSI 2020/21 funding programme via a joint submission with other East Lancashire authorities.  As part of the bidding process for RSI funding for the period 2022-25, Hyndburn’s bid for funding would maintain existing activities that worked well, as well as providing for new activities that would be complementary.

 

The bid submission process involved the completion of a self-assessment plan and bid application.  Meetings with DLUHC advisors and agencies who supported the Council in delivering for rough sleepers had helped develop Hyndburn’s bid submission.

 

The table below summarised Hyndburn’s RSI 2022-2025 grant funding award:

 

Table 1

 

	2022/2023 £	2023/2024 £	2024/2025 £	Sum of total grant £
A Bed Every Night	20,000	20,000	20,000	60,000
Flexible surge accommodation fund	8,900	7,790	6,325	23,015
Emergency night shelter	15,000	15,000	15,000	45,000
Maundy navigator service	31,000	31,000	31,000	93,000
Step Forward  Hyndburn	22,432	28,576	28,576	79,584
Support into employment and training for rough sleepers	33,250	45,000	45,000	123,250
Totals  £	130,582	147,366	145,901	423,849

 

 

Hyndburn’s submission had proposed to maintain these existing activities and interventions:

 

·       A Bed Every Night (ABEN) was an existing project which offered short term secure self-contained accommodation with support prior to securing longer term accommodation.  Stepping Stone Projects provided support to occupants who lived in 5 dispersed flats.

·       The night shelter was an existing activity that provided emergency overnight accommodation for rough sleepers and those at imminent risk of rough sleeping.  Access to the accommodation, subject to space, was available year round.  Based at Maundy Relief in the centre of Accrington, the accommodation was in three single rooms with two shared bathrooms. Users could access showers, a washing machine and a kitchenette and were provided with an evening meal and breakfast.

·       The navigator service was a continuation of an existing activity and was provided by Maundy Relief. It provided an outreach activity that proactively sought out rough sleepers in their locations and offered immediate emergency support with food, clothing and overnight accommodation in Maundy‘s night shelter.

 

Hyndburn’s submission had also included new activity for accessing and securing accommodation for rough sleepers:

 

• Following a visit from DLUC’s Rough Sleeping Advisor to Hyndburn’s rough sleeping and homelessness projects, the Council was encouraged to include within its submission a funding request for both the Step Forward Hyndburn project and support into training and employment.

• Step Forward Hyndburn was a 12 bedroom project for single male homeless cases including rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.  On reviewing the project it was concluded that there was need to provide 24/7 on-site management, security and support.
• Support into employment and training for rough sleepers presented a further opportunity to help rough sleepers rebuild their lives.  The approach outlined in Hyndburn’s submission was working with a suitable experienced agency to identify a range of interventions to support rough sleepers into work and training.  The Council proposed to procure this activity with appropriate training agencies.
• Flexible surge accommodation provided funds to improve access to a wider range of accommodation such as deposits/rent upfront payments to secure private rented accommodation for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.  It also provided funding for cold weather payments.  This activity would be directly administered via the Council’s Housing Advice and Homelessness Team.

 

Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP), 2022-2024

 

The Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) was another programme to meet the Government’s manifesto commitment to halve rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament and eliminate it by 2027.

 

This 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. 

 

In 2021 Hyndburn had secured £175,833 funding for 2021/2024 to provide access to accommodation and support for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.  This had been covered in a report which went to the Cabinet meeting held on 22^nd June 2022.  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 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUC) 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 Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP).  Proposals could include securing additional grant to support existing RSAP projects.

 

Hyndburn had made a submission and had been awarded additional revenue grant to expand the existing RSAP project so that an additional 5 people who had been rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping could be accommodated with support.  This grant would cover the cost of support from Stepping Stone Projects and furnishing accommodation.

 

Table 2

 

RSAP Grant Programme	2022/2023	2023/2024
Grant awarded	£55,417	£25,000

 

 

Alternative Options considered and Reasons for Rejection

 

The Council could have decided not to submit bids for RSI and RSAP funding, but this would not have maximised the funding opportunities available to the Council and potentially put at risk existing provision for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.

 

RSAP and RSI 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.

 

Local housing authorities had been encouraged to submit proposals naming the proposed organisations they would support financially which limited alternative options now the Council had secured the funding.  Additionally, Stepping Stone Projects and Maundy Relief were the only organisations operating in the Borough with the level of local presence, local knowledge and expertise to deliver rough sleeping activities successfully.  A key element in the RSI funding interventions submission process was a Local Authority self-assessment which invited local authorities to explain which interventions they wanted to build, grow and improve.  This had helped DLUHC to make informed assessments in awarding funding.  Hyndburn’s submission had identified the activities already done by Stepping Stone and Maundy with rough sleepers, and how this further funding award would develop and enhance both organisations existing activities in preventing and reducing rough sleeping.

 

As these agreements were considered grants, they were not subject to the Council’s Contracts Procedure Rules, but good practice and transparency would be observed throughout.  The Council proposed to award the funding by way of grant to Stepping Stones and Maundy as set out in the report because both organisations already carried out work to prevent and respond to rough sleeping, and by awarding a grant it allowed both organisations extend and enhance the activities they already provided.

 

Resolved                                    -    That Cabinet:

 

(1)   Notes that the Council has been awarded grant funding of £423,849 through the Governments’ Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) grant programme for three years as follows:

 

i)        £130,582 for 2022/23

ii)      £147,366 for 2023/24

iii)    £145,901 for 2024/25

 

Table 1 at Paragraph 3.2.4 of the report, describes gives a breakdown of the Council’s bid for the funding and how the funding is proposed to be allocated.

 

(2)   Notes that the Council has been awarded through the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) additional grant of £80,417 for two financial years as follows:

 

i)        £55,417 for 2022/23

ii)      £25,000 for 2023/24

 

Paragraph 3.3.5 of the report summarises how the Council proposes to allocate the funding.

 

(3)   Notes that this funding will be used to support both the continuation of existing activities and introduction of additional activities to relieve and prevent rough sleeping in the Borough.

 

(4)   Considers and approves the following grants from the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) 2022 – 2025 funding to the charities who are currently providing support to Hyndburn Borough Council to continue and enhance support for people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping:

 

(i)      Approves a grant  of £60,000 to Stepping Stone Projects for the continuation of the Bed Every Night project;

(ii)    Approves a grant of £79,584 to Stepping Stone Projects for the continuation of the Step Forward Hyndburn project;

(iii)   Approves a grant of £45,000 to Maundy Relief for the continuation of the emergency night shelter;

(iv)   Approves a grant of £93,000 to Maundy Relief for the continuation of the street navigator activity.

 

(5)   Considers and approves an additional grant from the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) 2022 – 2024 of £80,417 to Stepping Stones Projects to increase the existing grant award previously made at Cabinet on 22^nd June 2022 and described in Paragraph 3.3.5 of the report.

 

(6)   Delegates authority to the Head of Regeneration and Housing, in consultation with the Executive Director (Legal and Democratic Services) to draw up, finalise and execute agreements to grant Maundy Relief and Stepping Stone Projects the funds listed above to continue the support they are currently providing.

 

(7)   Notes that there is RSI grant of £23,015 which will be administered and allocated by the Council’s Housing Advice and Homelessness Team to secure private rented accommodation through deposits and rent upfront (as indicated under ‘flexible surge accommodation fund’ in Table 1 at Paragraph 3.2.4 and described in Paragraph 3.2.5 of the report).

 

(8)   Notes that there is RSI grant of £123,250 to support rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping into training and / or employment, and that this tranche of grant will be subject to a procurement exercise to employ a suitable experienced training/employment agency. (as indicated under ‘support into employment and training for rough sleepers’ in Table 1 at Paragraph 3.2.4 and described in Paragraph 3.2.5 of the report)