Innovative leasing scheme will help accommodation supply
Last updated | 08/03/2008
The Council is set to implement an innovative new leasing scheme aimed at increasing the supply of temporary accommodation for homeless people in Perth and Kinross.
The Private Sector Leasing Scheme will help reduce the number of homeless people and families being housed in bed and breakfast accommodation by adding up to 80 properties to the Council’s temporary accommodation list for a three-to-five year period.
At present the Council has the following properties available for homeless households:
• 164 dispersed tenancies (including Registered Social Landlord tenancies)
• 28 units of hotel accommodation
• 75 units of bed and breakfast
The number of homeless presentations to the Council is increasing steadily: there were 846 from April 2006 to January 2007, compared to 907 for the same period in 2007/08.
It is proposed that the Council will negotiate direct with private landlords to lease up to 80 properties in year one, all on three-to five year contracts. The type and location of property will be identified from the list of homeless applicants and appropriate properties will be sought. Only high standard properties which meet strict legal and safety criteria before will be considered.
Rent and service charges will cover the costs of leasing and managing the properties.
The proposal will be considered by the Housing and Health Committee at a meeting on Wednesday 12 March.
Committee Vice Convener, Councillor Alasdair Wylie, said: “The use of bed and breakfast accommodation is not ideal for the people we are trying to help, and it is also the least cost-effective form of temporary accommodation.
“Pressure on our housing stock means we have a shortfall in the number of properties currently available. This scheme will modernise and improve the way we deliver our services to ensure we provide the best value to local residents and council tax payers.
"This scheme puts us among the vanguard of local authorities leading the way in implementing innovative and imaginative solutions to real problems and improving care for vulnerable communities."
