Decision details

Funding for Bentley House.

1.        Recommendations

1.1      That the Cabinet Member for Housing Services and the Cabinet Member for   Finance and Council Reform:

1.1.1   Agree Appendix B of this report be exempt from disclosure by virtue of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, Part 1, paragraph 3, in that it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

1.1.2   Approve the AHF grant allocation to the Passage as set out in appendix 1 subject to a funding and nominations agreement.

1.1.3   Delegates authority to the S151 Officer to award the funds to the Passage.

1.1.4   Delegates authority to the Director of Legal Services to enter into a funding and nominations agreement with the Passage.

2.        Reasons for Decision 

2.1      Bentley House had been vacant for many years and fallen into considerable disrepair and was not capable of being occupied.

2.2     It required extensive capital investment by The Passage to enable it to be occupied once again for any purpose. The accommodation was effectively on the threshold of being lost from the city’s stock.

2.3     Bentley House will benefit from its proximity to Montfort House by  combining the service management and office space and support during the night, when required.

2.4     Bentley House falls into the Housing led solutions category given the focus on longer term accommodation. Interventions for people who have been on the streets for long periods of time and where traditional accommodation options have failed.

2.5     The use of resources from the Affordable Housing Fund, along with

other funding sources available to the Passage, will provide 20 single person self-contained studio accommodation units with a full nomination agreement in place between The Passage and WCC.