Decision details

To set aside up to £20,000 from the council’s Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) to enable supported housing providers in Cheltenham, like YMCA and P3, to move their tenants on from their low-supported housing provision into private rented accommodation, with the help of a deposit. (HPG is grant funding provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to help local authorities tackle homelessness.)

One of the council’s strategic housing priorities, as set out in our Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, is to make best use of existing housing within the Borough.

This initiative, to enable residents to move-on from low-supported housing, will help support our strategic housing priority by widening the choices available for those who are ready to live independently. At present, there is a risk of over-reliance on general needs social housing to be the sole housing solution for those who are ready to move-on into independent accommodation due to the costs associated with accessing the private rented sector. It is anticipated that by offering our local supported housing providers funding to cover the cost of deposits to access this sector, then this may help to reduce some of these barriers.

In addition, by increasing the accessibility of accommodation for households seeking to move-on from low supported housing, it is also anticipated that this will help households move through the pathway into independent accommodation more quickly. This, in turn, will help free-up low supported housing for households who are in need of this type of accommodation, thereby making better use of existing housing stock in the Borough.

1) Not to move forward with this initiative. This is rejected for the reasons set out above.

2) The council could provide a deposit directly to the prospective tenant, rather than via their support housing provider. This is also rejected on the basis that low-supported housing providers will be best placed to know which of their tenants are most likely to sustain a tenancy in the private rented sector. The providers will also be able to work with those tenants who are ready to move-on to live independently, by helping them to identify and secure suitable alternative move-on accommodation in this sector.

Both YMCA and P3 have been consulted on this proposal, and both are supportive. We will open this initiative up to any low-supported housing providers in Cheltenham who are interested in helping widen the menu of housing options for their tenants who are ready to move-on to living independently in the private rented sector. This initiative is also supported by our Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services, Councillor Flo Clucas.