To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2023.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2023 as a correct record.

Report of the Director of Housing Services

This is an update report on Council support and services to Afghanistan and Ukraine migrants in Manchester. It also provides an update on asylum dispersal in the city and on the emerging Sudanese situation, Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) and Chagossians.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Housing Services which provided an update on Council support and services to Afghanistan and Ukraine migrants in Manchester. It also provided an update on asylum dispersal in the city and on the emerging Sudanese situation, Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) and Chagossians.

Key points and themes in the report included:

• The Afghanistan Service;
• Ukraine Service;
• Local Authority Housing Fund;
• Welcome Desk for Ukraine Nationals;
• Asylum Contingency Hotels;
• Asylum Dispersed Accommodation;
• Sudanese Refugees;
• Hong Kong British Nationals (overseas); and
• Chagossians.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

• To welcome the work that the Council was doing to support people fleeing from conflict and other difficult circumstances and to thank officers involved in this work, including those who used their volunteering days to help;
• That people hosting Ukrainian families broadly reported positive experiences of the support from the Council in relation to this;
• Concern about Government plans to temporarily exempt asylum accommodation from House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing requirements, noting that the Regional Strategic Migration Partnership and Greater Manchester Combined Authority were coordinating a response to the Government on this and asking about a response from the Council and the Committee;
• To request that care be taken to ensure that no identifying details, such as employers, were included in case studies;
• Support for Afghan families who were re-located outside of Manchester;
• The potential impact of Serco’s request for the moratorium on the procurement of dispersed accommodation in the M8, M9 and M40 postcode areas to be lifted and to request an update on this; and
• The impact of ending the use of temporary hotel accommodation including whether some people would become homeless.

The Deputy Leader agreed that the plans to temporarily exempt asylum accommodation from HMO licensing requirements were very concerning and supported a request to respond as a Council, saying that she would discuss this with the Executive Member for Housing and Development.  The Chair requested that the Committee’s concerns be included and that the Committee endorse the response, to which the Deputy Leader agreed.

The Strategic Lead for Homelessness reported that there was a support package for Afghan people when they moved from contingency hotels into alternative accommodation and that there was funding for up to three years for that support.  She reported that the Council would be providing that support for people accommodated within Manchester and was working with other local authorities in relation to support for people placed in their areas, although, unfortunately, not all local authorities were as willing to provide support.  She advised that Manchester City Council would provide some transition support if the local authority in the area they were moving to was not providing support.  She reported that the Council also worked with people before the move to ensure that they were tenancy-ready and to help with other issues such as needing furniture, regardless of where they were moving to within the country.  In response  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

The monthly report includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and any items for information.

A report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit was submitted. The overview report contained a list of key decisions yet to be taken within the Committee’s remit, responses to previous recommendations and the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee was asked to approve.

Decision

To note the report and agree the work programme.