Herefordshire Council is set to spend £1,058,400 on purchasing housing for six people who have long /repeated history of rough sleeping.
The Council has received funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, as well as other areas.
The Council has taken the decision to approve the acquisition of up to six properties from the open market in response to the Covid-19 emergency, to accommodate six people who have long and/or repeated history of rough sleeping. The overall funding of £1,058,400 has been approved to purchase the six properties. Herefordshire Council are prioritising using the external grant received from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities first.
Below is a breakdown of the funding allocated for the purchase of the properties:
Funding streams – Capital
DLUHC Grant – £423,360
BCF Grant available through the IBCF Programme – £250,000
Strategic Housing funded from borrowing – £385,040
TOTAL – £1058,400
The council has already purchased three properties at a cost of £468,981.37.
Purchase price – £425,250
Legal/conveyancing/survey fees – £5,531.37
Refurbishment costs – £38,200
Herefordshire Council say it is currently on budget for this project. There is a budget of £176,400 for purchasing each property. Failure to spend the funding awarded by DLUHC will result in the grant offer being retracted. Herefordshire Council also has a statutory duty to house those who are unintentionally homeless.
More details on this decision can be found on the Herefordshire Council website.
