Purpose

Cabinet approval is sought to support the
acquisitions of properties available in the market, aimed at
addressing specific housing needs, and to request Full Council to
authorise an uplift in the Crawley Homes Acquisitions Budget in
order to support this objective.

Content

Exempt Paragraph 3
Information relating to the
financial or business affairs of any particular person (including
the authority holding that information)

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)           
delegates the negotiation, approval and completion
of all relevant documentation, including legal paperwork necessary
to secure the required market acquisitions to the Head of Crawley
Homes, Head of Governance, People and Performance, Head of
Corporate Finance, in consultation with the Leader of the Council
and the Cabinet Member for Housing.

(Generic Delegations 2 & 3 will be used to enact
this recommendation)
 

b)           
authorises the Head of Strategic Housing Services in
consultation with the Head of Corporate Finance to complete the
necessary allocations for the LAHF funding received.

That Full Council to recommended to approve the uplift to the
Crawley Homes Acquisitions Budget from available funding sources as
detailed in sections 5.9 (use of S106 monies) and 5.10 (10%
contingency) and 5.11 (summary of budget requirement) of report
CH/210, for the purposes of securing additional affordable housing
in order to satisfy the housing requirements that meets the
objectives of the LAHF funding allocation.

Reasons for the Recommendations

a)     
The LAHF funding allocation is aimed at addressing
specific housing needs in the borough, most of which relates to
expanding the Council’s temporary accommodation housing
stock, along with the need to provide a quota with more secure
tenancies, and it is this specific quota that can be better
addressed through the expansion of Crawley Homes housing stock,
with this report seeking the necessary budget to satisfy this
particular LAHF requirement.

b)     
The LAHF fund is aimed at achieving additional
affordable housing, beyond that which is already being delivered
through the affordable housing development programme, whereby this
is to be achieved through sourcing the appropriate properties from
the market, which is largely subsidised by the LAHF funding
allocation, but requires a supporting budget to enable this funding
allocation to be utilised.