Six family-sized properties could be purchased in Erewash to provide temporary accommodation for households facing homelessness and homes for eligible Afghan families being resettled in the UK.
Erewash Borough Council’s Council Executive will decide whether to accept £645,558 awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government when it meets at Ilkeston Town Hall at 5pm today, Wednesday 22 July.
The decision rests with the members of the Council Executive. It is not a planning application and does not require a decision by the full council.
If approved, the funding will be used in partnership with East Midlands Homes to acquire six properties across the borough.
Four would be used as temporary accommodation for Erewash families and vulnerable people facing homelessness, while two would be made available to eligible families through the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
However, the council report does not reveal where the properties would be located.
Family-sized accommodation
All six properties would need to have at least two bedrooms, with one of the two homes allocated to the resettlement programme required to have four or more bedrooms.
Approximately £430,372 of the grant has been allocated towards four temporary-accommodation properties, with £215,186 allocated towards the two resettlement homes.
The Government funding is due to be provided in stages. Two temporary-accommodation properties are expected to be acquired during 2026/27, with funding for the remaining two temporary homes and two resettlement properties scheduled for 2028/29.
No funding is currently allocated for 2027/28, although the Government may consider bringing money forward if properties can be secured sooner.
The government funding amounts to approximately £107,600 for each of the six properties. However, the report acknowledges that this may not cover their full purchase price and says East Midlands Homes may need to make an additional financial contribution. It does not specify how much the housing provider could contribute or the total anticipated cost of acquiring the homes.
The £645,558 is government funding provided specifically for the housing scheme. If Erewash Borough Council does not accept and use it for the proposed homes, it will not receive the money. The funding cannot instead be spent on other local services.
Who will own the homes?
East Midlands Homes would acquire the properties and retain ownership after their purchase. The council’s grant funding would be transferred to the housing provider, which may also need to contribute towards the cost if the Government award does not cover the full purchase price.
The four properties intended for temporary accommodation would then be leased back to support Erewash Borough Council’s legal duties towards eligible homeless households.
The two properties used for Afghan resettlement would remain with East Midlands Homes and could later become available for wider social housing needs.
The report says resettlement properties could be made available for other housing and homelessness requirements after three years, or sooner if a suitable Afghan family cannot be matched with the accommodation.
The Afghan Resettlement Programme is now closed to new applications and referrals, with the Government processing applications already in the system.
Previous homes purchased
Erewash Borough Council previously received £314,879 through an earlier round of the Local Authority Housing Fund.
Working with East Midlands Homes, that funding provided one property for an Afghan family and two homes for temporary accommodation for Erewash households at risk of homelessness.
Council officers are recommending that the Executive accepts the latest funding award. If members reject it, the report warns that the council would be unable to increase its temporary-accommodation provision through this scheme.
The decision will be considered by Erewash Borough Council’s Council Executive at its meeting at Ilkeston Town Hall, beginning at 5pm on Wednesday 22 July.