URL: https://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=5564

Decision Maker: Head of Housing and Planning

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose:

Content: 1.  TDC agreed to a deficit grant to Porchlight totalling £151,438.63 for the financial year 2026/27. The funding period will run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 and will increase in line with CPI for 27/28 & 28/29; 2.  TDC negotiated a grant funding agreement that commits Porchlight to letting all Thanet vacancies to TDC nominees and includes specific outcome measures about the service to be provided; 3.  TDC nominates people who are owed a homelessness relief duty or full homelessness duty and that this duty is discharged alongside the offer. ·  TDC will save a significant cost in relation to the current provision of TA. ·  TDC would not be responsible for the collection of rent or Housing Benefit, which would be done by Porchlight. ·  The council would be able to discharge its on-going homelessness duties and the units would not be included within the council’s report TA numbers. ·  Porchlight would have greater funding certainty. ·  The tenant would have greater security of tenure, being issued with an AST rather than a TA licence. ·  The tenant would be prioritised in band B on the housing register (leaving supported housing) rather than band C (leaving TA). ·  The accommodation is in Thanet, unlike a significant proportion of the council’s TA. There is no requirement for the council to take any action in relation to these homes, however it is very likely that they would no longer be used for vulnerable homeless single people if TDC takes no action. Of the 41 homes, 9 are owned by Porchlight and 32 are owned by Registered Social Landlords (RSLS). It is likely that the RSL owned units would be returned to general needs affordable housing, mostly likely configured differently, potentially for families rather than single people (for example: A single house let to a family, rather than rooms let to single people). The Porchlight owned units could be managed in the same way or even lost to the affordable housing sector altogether, and sold or let at a market rent.   The nightly cost of the council supporting single homeless people in nightly paid temporary accommodation, using current arrangements is £42 per night. For 41 single people in nightly paid accommodation, the gross cost would be £628,530 p.a. With around 23% recovered from housing benefit. If we do nothing, we are likely to see these costs increase, as some Porchlight residents would otherwise require nightly paid temporary accommodation.

Date of Decision: May 7, 2026