Agenda item

This matter is the responsibility of the Portfolio Holder for Housing Services Councillor Fran Smith.

The Executive in November 2020 requested officers to return in early 2021 to present the best options to deliver accommodation to support the identified demand and needs for single homeless and rough sleepers. This report provides;

·         An update on progress made since November,

·         Recommendations in relation to the future use of Canonsgrove, and

·         Future actions and activity to increase the supply of accommodation and

·         Better outcomes for single homeless in the District.

The Executive in November 2020 requested officers to return in early 2021 to present the best options to deliver accommodation to support the identified demand and needs for single homeless and rough sleepers. This report provided;

· An update on progress made since November,

· Recommendations in relation to the future use of Canonsgrove, and

· Future actions and activity to increase the supply of accommodation and better outcomes for single homeless in the District.

Since the report to Executive in November 2020 the Council has progressed its support for single homeless by maintaining the volume of accommodation required to support some of the most vulnerable people in the District during the Coved crisis including the challenge of the second national lockdown. The following has been achieved:

Successful allocation of circa £1m Next Steps capital funding to support the YMCA Dulverton Group purchase the Gascony Hotel, Minehead providing eighteen units of single homeless accommodation and grant revenue funding to support the continuation of the Canonsgrove accommodation up to October 2021.

Established an understanding of the accommodation gap for Single Homeless in the District (87 units) and the relative demand of twelve requirement categories to reflect the variety of vulnerability and needs of the single homeless. The required accommodation need on an ongoing basis is 374 of which 287 is available on an on-going basis leaving 87 units of unsecured accommodation including Canonsgrove which needs to be retained or replaced to meet single homeless demand.

Produced a draft Single Homeless Accommodation Strategy setting out the aspirations and requirements of the Council to single homeless need and single homeless provision by 2027 (appendix 1)

Commenced discussions with existing and new partners to support the provision of new accommodation supply and ensure existing supply is supporting the outcomes identified in the draft Single Homeless Accommodation Strategy and avoid the eviction of rough sleepers once the Coved emergency has ended

Reduced the number of single homeless living in B&B to circa 10 households.

The Homeless Reduction Board has developed its Terms of Reference and will meet in May to drive forward improved commissioning and partnership working to achieve better outcomes for Somerset’s most vulnerable people. The Homeless Reduction Board will ultimately seek to influence service delivery through an ‘integrated commissioning’ approach across health, care and housing.

SWT has also carried out an option appraisal on the future contribution of the Canonsgrove site. The recommendations of the option appraisal are presented below and the details of this appraisal form much of this report and appendix 2. The option appraisal was required to understand the future contribution of Canonsgrove to support the Council’s ambition as presented in the report to Executive November 2020 and presented in more detail in the draft Single Homeless Accommodation Strategy (appendix 1).

The paper proposed a number of future steps should the Executive support the recommended option including;

· Return to Full Council for approval of the Single Homeless Accommodation Strategy along with implementation plan, any budget request, information about the first schemes and projects for approval or for noting as appropriate

· Negotiate with the owners of Canonsgrove Bridgewater and Taunton College (BTC) to extend the lease of units to cover the period up to March 2023 to support the most vulnerable homeless during Covid and for a period to allow alternative suitable provision to be secured.

· The service will develop a single homeless accommodation delivery plan to deliver the ambitions of the Single Homeless Accommodation strategy and establish an officer Delivery Panel to filter, prioritise and approve new supply opportunities. This panel will seek to meet both the accommodation and the support requirements of customers.

· Progress discussions around opportunities in relation to new or improved supply through current partners Arc and YMCA Dulverton group plus emerging partners such as Citizens Somerset and the SPV.

· Explore in greater detail the opportunity which a wholly owned corporate company could provide in terms of additional new Private Rented Sector supply and contribute towards reducing the accommodation bottleneck which is caused by insufficient move on or permanent accommodation for single homeless. This potential new supply would complement activity to increase provision through private and social landlords, Citizens Somerset and SWTs Housing Directorate.

· Develop a significant 2021/2022 and 2022/2-023 MHCLG Next Steps Accommodation bid both capital and revenue funding. Support bids by citizens Somerset and other organisations for Homes England funding. These will be picked up through normal approved delegation routes (approved separately through portfolio-holder, director and S151 Officer).

· The YMCA Dulverton Group will complete the Gascony hotel refurbishment for the start of the new financial year and will provide new long term supply for eighteen single homeless customers some of whom will be decanted from the current Covid emergency provision at the Beach Hotel.

During the debate the following comments and questions were raised:-

·        Community engagement had been undertaken with Trull Parish Council, 17 incidents in relation to the Cannonsgrove accommodation had been reported in the last month to the Council and Police.

·        Reassurance was provided by officers that the options appraisal had been an objective exercise.

·        Monthly newsletters to residents were sent out keeping them informed of the Cannonsgrove accommodation.

·        MHCLG were involved in assisting officers with working in a more constructive way with residents and the Parish Council. Considerable time and effort had been undertaken in fostering good relations alongside being objective and independent.

·        The committee encouraged positive communications with the Parish Council and residents group.

·        It was recognised there was significant controversy around the use of the site as well as positive news and successes around the use of the facility.

·        Alternative sites had been considered. Timing and adapting the sites had been an issue in addition to funding to purchase the sites and costs involved.

·        No new guidance had been received by Government due to the lockdown continuing into 2021.

·        Sites explored could be shared to the committee but officers couldn’t share this information openly due the risk of jeopardising potential future negotiations.

·        Capital/Revenue funding was questioned to meet the 2027 homelessness target.

·        It was questioned if a refurbishment programme was planned for Cannonsgrove,

·        Officers had kept the Portfolio holder aware of the work undertaken by Trull Parish Council.

·        Concerns were expressed over the transparency over the options appraisal with the budget for homelessness needing to be included.

·        Most funding was through grant support and housing benefit claims. Once decanting occurred there was less assurance, moderate support was funded through lease costs through YMCA and Bridgwater College.

·        Rough Sleepers Initiative funding provided support around this, it was anticipated there would be lots of capital and revenue available to bid next year.

·        The committee welcomed the aspiration of the reduction of homelessness by 2027 which was considered a positive result of the pandemic. Although it was acknowledged there was a risk of homeless numbers increasing in the short term as a result of the impact of the pandemic.

·        Reducing the instances of antisocial behaviour in the community was essential to manage the accommodation well as part of the decant strategy.

·        Concerns were expressed in relation to the lack of options in the report.

·        Community engagement work was required to work alongside and improve the relationship with residents and Parish Councils. Support from the Church and volunteers had been positives experienced.

·        Concerns were expressed in relation to residents not being essential elements of the stakeholder analysis.

·        A joint liaison committee between the parish Council, Residents Group and the Council was requested.

Scrutiny to comment on the following recommendations being made to the Executive:

·        Only consider option 1, with clear wind down and end date of March 2023, but ideally 6 months before March 2023, having alternative location/s identified, therefore take out item 3.3 from the recommendation. 

·        Take into account the recent survey’s report by the Trull Parish Council, which provides the needed evidence of the adverse impact of current use of Canonsgrove to the community.

·        Provide better management, community safety measures by communicating with the residents to allay current and future concerns by:-

1)  Looking at alternative accommodations within the district close to all the amenities now.

2)  Work out a wider appraisal to deliver other accommodation options that are tested against the draft strategy with homelessness providers and support agencies, and inform Trull Residents Group, local Parish Councils about future plans, whereby other alternatives are identified and report back to the Scrutiny/SWT council within the next 6 months on plan to exit Canonsgrove.  

3) Create a joint liaison Committee to improve two way communication between the Council and relevant local stakeholders