Issue - meetings

To receive a briefing report from the Group Manager for Housing Services providing information relating to the Deposit and Advance Rent Scheme.

The Group had before it, and NOTED, a report * from the Group Manager for Housing briefing Members on the Deposit and Advance Rent Scheme (DARS). The contents of the report were outlined with the following key areas being highlighted:

·         This scheme was one of the tools used by the Housing Service to manage homelessness and it was a valuable resource.

·         For some tenants their previous history prevented them from accessing bank loans.

·         The scheme assisted in reducing the amount of money the Council needed to spend on temporary accommodation and was sometimes a very cost effective solution all round.

Consideration was given to:

·         This being a loan like any other loan and robust measures were taken to recover outstanding monies.

·         It was confirmed that the loan was considerably cheaper than the cost of temporary accommodation for a tenant.

·         The circumstances of everybody who presented as homeless were investigated. Housing options advice was given whenever possible, DARS being one option.

·         Last year central Government had provided some funding to local authorities to help support the council with rough sleepers.

·         Because the numbers of homeless people were increasing work in this area had also increased within the Housing Service.

·         Is someone applying for social housing had an outstanding debt to the Council, they would be asked to agree an arrangement for repayment otherwise their housing application could be excluded from the housing register.

Note: * Report previously circulated; copy attached to the signed minutes.