Purpose

Cabinet agreed to invest
£2,157,000 of capital reserves, generated from commuted sums
and right to buy receipts held by the council into the provision of
temporary accommodation/rough sleeper housing pathway scheme units
on 9 April 2024, subject to an options appraisal.
 
The options appraisal has been
completed and indicated the most effective way to physically
deliver temporary accommodation is to purchase existing built
properties and refurbish them utilising some of the capital
sums.
 
The Cabinet Member for Housing
the Local Plan then made the decision to commence the investment of
£2,157,000 of capital reserves, generated from commuted sums
and right to buy receipts, into the provision of temporary
accommodation across the district, primarily through the purchase
and refurbishment of existing built properties following the
completion of an options appraisal as required by Cabinet on 9
April 2024, subject to the cost of acquisition and operating costs
being within approved budgets – view decision. Approximately
11 units will be purchased.
 
The council’s wholly
owned trading company, Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services
(LWMTS), is leading on the work to identify and procure
accommodation units in line with the options appraisal. Each
property procurement requires a Cabinet Member decision.
 
This report proposes the
procurement of the 7th unit of the overall approximately 11 units
in line with the decisions made by Cabinet on 9 April 2024. This
procurement will take the total number of units procured as part of
this project up to 7.