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RESOLVED:
 
1. 
The Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Allocations
process, listed as appendix 1 to this report was approved.
 
2. 
The use of this allocations process for specific homes
acquired with LAHF funding was approved.
 
3. 
The amendments to the Council’s existing
Allocations Policy, at Appendix 3, to refer to ‘Appendix 7 -
LAHF Allocations Process’, as per Appendix 1 to this report
was approved.
 
REASONS FOR DECISION
 
‘Main Element’,
‘Bridging’ and ‘Resettlement’ homes that
utilise LAHF grant funding are specifically for housing families
who are on either Ukrainian or Afghan housing schemes.  These properties will need to sit outside of our
typical allocation process.  This
funding is being provided to help ensure that those communities
which had been most generous in welcoming new arrivals were not
‘penalised’ with longer social housing waiting
lists.
 
Properties cannot be let outside of a lettings
policy.  There is no provision in the
lettings policy to let Council properties to people who have not
fulfilled the 3 year residency criteria
i.e. resettlement homes.
 
The Council has entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding with MHCLG on three separate rounds, as referenced in
the background documents.
 
The Council has invested £4.75m and
£37.4m respectively into the delivery of homes under the
Local Authority Housing Fund, which was approved at the November
2023 and October 2024 Capital Update.
 
DETAILS OF ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND
REJECTED
 
It is a requirement of receiving grant funding
that the Council enters into a MOU with MHCLG. Therefore, the
‘do nothing’ option has been discounted as pursuing it
would mean the Council forgoing the grant funding which has been
used to purchase resettlement homes, as well as significant numbers
of Temporary Accommodation.
 
If the Council decides to allocate these homes
without a process in place, then it would be open to legal
challenge. For audit and anti-fraud purposes, to avoid legal
challenge and to demonstrate equity, a policy and a process needs
to be in place to allocate a property. To do otherwise leaves the
Council open to maladministration and fraud.