Purpose

Leeds City Council has submitted a bid to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) for targeted Rough Sleeping Initiative funding for two years from 2023-25. The outcome is expected in the next month. If the bid is successful, a key decision will be required to allocate the grant for the purposes outlined in the bid, in a timely way.

The grant will cover revenue expenditure for a variety of interventions which will assist the city to deliver its ambitions to reduce the numbers of people who are rough sleeping and to deliver positive outcomes.

Approval is being sought to:

·  accept the grant allocation from DLUHC

·  award funding to a number of organisations to enhance the support to people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping and/ or homelessness in Leeds

Decision

The Director of Communities, Housing and Environment has approved the decision to accept the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) grant allocation from Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), and award funding to the value of £884,000 to  a number of organisations to enhance the support to people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping and/ or homelessness in Leeds up to 2025 including:

(i)  An additional grant allocation of £115,000 to St George’s Crypt to support the continuation of use of the 24-bed supported accommodation, to provide additional temporary supported accommodation from 1st October 2023 – 31st March 2024 and £125,000 for the period 1st April 2024 to 30th June 2024.

(ii)  An allocation of £29,000 from 1st October 2023 to 31st March 2024 to Adult Social Care, Leeds City Council for a Street Based Social Worker and £61,000 for the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025.

(iii)  A grant allocation of up to £149,503 to BARCA towards the Housing First Pilot scheme for the period 1st July 2023 to 31st March 2024 for three Housing Navigators, a Team Leader and a personalisation budget for clients. Approve allocation of up to £97,670 to BARCA for the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025 and the use of £100,000 for 2024/25 from the Flexible Emergency Accommodation Fund from the 2022 RSI award. The flexible emergency fund was awarded through RSI for bespoke homelessness support and accommodation for 18 months from 1st October 2023 – 31st March 2025. Approval to accept the grant allocation was received in 2022 by the previous 2022 key decision report, however a Provider was not recommended at the time.

(iv)  An allocation of £82,827 to Leeds Housing Options for a Housing Property Manager for the period 1st July 2023 to 31st March 2025.

(v)  An allocation of £72,000 to deliver an enhanced street based outreach services on a weekend from 1st July 2023 to 31st March 2024 and £72,000 for the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025. The project team is in the process of agreeing a lead Provider, Approval to spend this money with the agreed Provider to be approved by a separate decision.

(vi)  An allocation of £80,000 for a Specialist Psychologist post for the period 1st July 2023 to 31st March 2025. The Project Team will identify a lead Provider. Approval to spend this money with the agreed Provider to be approved by a separate decision.