Content

Worthing Borough Council has been allocated
£809,083 from the LAHF which is a government fund
specifically for the provision of rented housing for refugees. The
allocation is to provide six homes (of which one must have four
bedrooms and the others at least two bedrooms). Given the timescale
attached to the funding, the acquisition or improvement of existing
homes was considered to be the only way to deliver these in
Worthing.
 
Options were considered, with the preference
being for new property which could be quickly and easily
acquired.
 
The following properties have been identified
and are considered suitable.  Full
building surveys have been carried out and legal reports
produced.  Approval to purchase them is
requested:
 
1 Violet Close, Worthing (4-bed house) for the
sum of £415,000
Flat 2 Deora
Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £235,000
Flat 4 Deora
Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £255,000
Flat 7 Deora
Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £255,000
 
The following properties have also been
identified as suitable for purchase utilising the LAHF grant
money.  To purchase these additional
budget is required, which has informally been approved by Officers,
however, formal approval from Worthing JSSC will be sought in June
2024.  Should the budget be approved, we
propose purchasing the properties, subject to the successful
undertaking of legal reports and building surveys.
 
The approval to purchase the following
properties, subject to the above conditions, is requested:
 
Flat 5 Ordinges
Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £275,000
Flat 7 Ordinges
Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £285,000
 
Total purchase cost: £1,720,000

Reasons for the decision

The Local Authority
Housing Fund (LAHF) is a £500m capital grant fund, launched
in December 2022, to support local authorities in England to
provide housing for those displaced by war and conflict, in
particular in response to the Afghan and Ukraine humanitarian
schemes which offered a safe and legal entry route to those fleeing
conflict
 
Refugees were
identified as one of five priority groups in Worthing District
Council’s (draft) Housing Needs Assessment (September
2023). 
 
Worthing’s
Housing Team will work with West Sussex County Council (WSCC)
colleagues to allocate the properties to those who are eligible,
homeless or at risk of homelessness and who currently live in
unsuitable temporary arrangements. WSCC also has funding to meet
costs associated with move-on and set up of a home as well as
assist with rent and rent in advance if needed and there would be
no additional financial burden to the council. 
 
A report setting out
the funding allocation and the budget for delivery of the six homes
under the LAHF programme was approved by Worthing JSSC on 5th
December 2023. Authority was delegated to the Assistant Director
for Housing and Homelessness Prevention to approve the purchase of
the properties identified. 
 
1 Violet Close is a
freehold house, and the properties at Deora Place and Ordinges Place are leasehold purchases.
 

Alternative options considered

Whilst there is
provision in the fund for refurbishing existing council-owned
properties, Worthing does not own any housing stock. Therefore
acquisition, which is the overall aim of the fund, is the only
option for spending the fund.
 
The option to do
nothing and hand back the funding allocation was considered however
this would have meant a failure to produce much needed homes, and
it was demonstrated that the amount of grant available allowed
these to be delivered with no additional burden on the
Council’s budget.