The Council has been providing funding for Derek Crosfield House since 2017. The scheme is owned and operated by Peabody and provides housing related support to young parents or those who are expecting a child and might otherwise be homeless.
The most recent funded period ended on 30 September 2025, and in the longer term the Council will need to undertake a procurement exercise for this service. To allow time for this exercise to take place, the Council has considered extending the funding for this service until the 31March 2026.
Given the type of service offered and the level of ongoing demand, it is the view of officers that funding should be provided from 30 September 2025 until 31 March 2026 using a proportion of the Homelessness Prevention Grant for 2025/26.
A report was written in February 2024 along with a decision to extend the funding from that point for 12 months. A further six month extension was made in May 2025 with the intention that a procurement exercise would be undertaken during that period. Due to staffing pressure that exercise has not yet been completed necessitating this further extension.
The Corporate Director (Law & Governance) and Monitoring Officer has been consulted and indicated that an extension to the grant funding can be offered, due to the specific type of public sector support which is being provided.
Consultation has also been undertaken with the Portfolio Holder for Housing & Planning.
The extension of time will be used to undertake a procurement exercise. There is a risk that a further shorter extension period may be required beyond this one and this is dependant upon how well the procurement exercise goes.

To extend the funding for Derek Crosfield House for a 6-month period to allow for a procurement process to take place.
Peabody have advised that funding of £26,116.99 would be needed to continue the level of support that is provided at the scheme, during this period.

There are at this time no direct LGR or devolution issues although in the longer term the new unitary authority will need to consider whether it wishes to continue funding schemes of this nature.