Decision details

To enter into a Nominations Agreement with P3 Housing Limited (a Registered Provider) to enable the council to nominate single homeless households into accommodation managed by P3.

The council has various responsibilities towards households who are homeless. These responsibilities include providing ‘interim’ accommodation (i.e. accommodation which is provided to a household pending further enquiries into their homelessness) and temporary accommodation (which is provided to a household once further homelessness responsibilities are established).
This nominations agreement with P3 will help to increase the availability of interim and temporary accommodation by up to 6 rooms at any one time. Households placed in this accommodation will be supported by P3 while longer term housing options are explored.
The aim of this initiative is to reduce our reliance on emergency Bed & Breakfast accommodation placements, which can sometimes be made outside of our Borough. This nominations agreement will therefore help the council to achieve its aims of securing better quality accommodation in a more suitable location for homeless households.
It should be noted that P3 already use this accommodation for single households with support needs. The key difference moving forward is that the council will now have a say over who is offered these tenancies. This initiative will therefore help to ensure that better use is made of existing housing stock to support the council’s housing needs.
Crucially, P3 will continue to provide support to its tenants (who will be risk assessed before being considered for the accommodation). This will include P3 carrying out daily visits to the property during the working week. CCTV is also installed, and this is linked directly to P3’s hub and support service, which is staffed 24/7, and which is in close proximity to this accommodation provision.
Our nominations agreement will be for an initial period of 2 years, with the option for either party to end the arrangement by serving 3 months’ notice at any time. This will ensure that there is sufficient flexibility for the council (and P3) to adapt quickly to any changes in housing needs.
This initiative has set-up costs of £2,000/dwelling (£12,000 in total), and these costs will be met via the council’s Homelessness Prevention Grant Funding. (This is funding which the council receives directly from the Ministry of Housing & Local Government to help meet our homelessness pressures.) P3’s rental and services charges will continue to be met via the council’s Revenues and Benefits Team.

Not to enter into a Nominations Agreement with P3. This option is rejected on the basis that the demand for emergency, and other forms of temporary accommodation, is continuing to increase in Cheltenham, with a significant pressure on single homelessness. Our initiative with P3 will help to alleviate some of these pressures.

This initiative is supported by our Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services. Ward members for St Pauls have also been consulted and given an opportunity to provide feedback