Decision details

Housing services are proposing to remodel and extend an existing council owned care home into supported housing to accommodate homeless households. This is at Theobald House Dartmouth Avenue Bath. The Council has a statuary duty to accommodate certain households when homeless and this proposal is to help meet this duty. The new supported housing will be able to accommodate up to eleven households who will be able to stay locally while they prepare for permanent rehousing. This provision will reduce the need to accommodate people in Bed and Breakfast accommodation which is often outside Bath and North East Somerset.

The Cabinet Members agree with:

·  The development of a supported housing scheme, at Theobald House, Bath, to provide temporary accommodation for homeless households

·  The funding for the scheme, as detailed in the report.

In 2019 Housing Services carried out a full review of its use of temporary accommodation. The review identified an increase in the use of bed and breakfast accommodation, that could only be procured outside the Bath and North East Somerset area. Additionally, that households requiring accommodation are likely to be complex with high support needs. It is difficult to provide support when households are located out of the area.

The review recommendations included to utilise an existing Council building and to operate it as supported housing.

Theobald House is a former residential home located in Dartmouth Avenue in Bath. The property is owned by the Council and is currently being used to accommodate rough sleepers during the Covid19 lockdowns. The proposal is to renovate and extend the property to create an eleven-room supported housing scheme providing emergency temporary accommodation for homeless households.

Residents will benefit from well-located accommodation, that is purpose built and with proper facilities. Existing services providing support and preparing residents for independent rehousing can be provided on site.

Housing Services will be able to reduce its use of expensive bed and breakfast. The scheme is highly flexible enabling quick access at the control of Housing Services and will provide the Council with greater resilience to meet its statutory duties.

These include continuing to “spot purchase” accommodation and/or commission more temporary accommodation from existing providers. The former was discounted as it has not proved reliable or consistent, is often poorly located and does not require the level of support clients often require. The latter was discounted based on cost, deliverability and ensuring the Council has resilience, particularly when dealing with clients with specific needs.