The council is looking to sell a £850,000 property used to house the homeless to fund more provision.

Next Monday (July 8), Watford Borough Council’s cabinet will consider proposals for the four-bed it leases to New Hope.

The charity uses the house to accommodate four individuals in low support “move-on” accommodation as part of Watford’s Single Homeless Pathway, but the council has decided to sell it.

Ahead of next week’s meeting it has been recommended that cabinet should agree to a £160,000 grant to Watford Community Housing (WCH) for it to find an alternative property where New Hope can deliver the same services, with the aim of getting somewhere significantly cheaper.

Officers therefore also recommend ring fencing the money freed-up from the sale, less the £160,000 grant, for securing additional housing.

The house, in Rickmansworth Road. (Image: Google Street View)

WCH would buy the replacement property instead of the council, meaning it would lose out on the £15,500 per year lease revenue. However, if it can secure more housing units the council will be able to reduce how much it spends putting people up in B&Bs as an "invest to save opportunity".

The funding agreement with WCH would bake-in guarantees that New Hope will be able to lease the replacement location long-term at a reasonable rent.