Purpose

To approve the Council acquiring 13
properties in the borough with the support of the Local Housing
Authority funding allocated to the borough by the Department of
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Reason for urgency
In August 2023, the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and
Communities (DLUHC) confirmed the Council had been allocated
£4,253,600 to support acquisition of 13 properties in the
borough. The Council are required to acquire all these properties
by March 2024 but DLUHC will also monitor and expect acquisitions
to be completed throughout the next six months. To wait until the
next Committee cycle to commence acquisitions would make it
problematic for the Council to complete the required
acquisitions.

Content

The Chief Executive has approved as an urgent
decision in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the
Deputy Leader and Vice-chair of Adult Social Services, Health and
Housing Services Committee.