To consider the progress made against recommendations arising from the Housing, Renewal and Homelessness Strategy Review. 

17.1           The report of the Interim Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager, circulated at Pages No. 133-160, set out the achievements to date in respect of the outcomes identified in the Housing, Renewal and Homelessness Strategy 2012-16 Action Plan.  Members were asked to consider the report.

17.2           The Housing Services Manager explained that the Housing, Renewal and Homelessness Strategy reached the end of its life that year and a new strategy would need to be drafted for 2017-21.  The homelessness element of the strategy would need to be progressed initially with a view to adoption by January 2017.  The previous strategy had been developed by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee Working Group which had worked well and it was suggested that this approach be used for the new strategy.

17.3           In terms of performance to date, 229 new build affordable homes had been completed during 2015/16, which exceeded the target of 150 new homes, and 35-40% affordable housing had been secured on qualifying sites over the last three years.  There was a mix a property types and tenures across all of the sites which supported the housing need of a range of client groups with different incomes.  A breakdown of the tenures was set out at Page No. 135, Paragraph 2.1.2, of the report.  The Action Plan set out that homes should be built to lifetime standards and it was noted that this was no longer applicable; however, all homes had met the minimum requirement of Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, which was the Building Regulations standard for all homes, and 31% of the 229 completed affordable homes had been delivered to Level 4.  The young persons’ supported accommodation within Tewkesbury Borough had been improved by G3/Rooftop this year and the outdated provision at Tolsey House had been replaced with the redevelopment of 41 High Street in Tewkesbury Town to provide high quality self-contained accommodation for young, vulnerable adults.

17.4           Homelessness was the area which had changed the most over the last year and would change even further going forward.  A greater emphasis on homelessness prevention had been successfully implemented within the Borough in line with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) criteria for ‘Gold Standard’ to enable those threatened with homelessness to stay in their existing home, where reasonable, or to move to a property of their choice in the private rented sector without the need for costly emergency accommodation if it was not possible to remain in their current home.  In order to be eligible for the Gold Standard, the Council was required to have a ‘live’ Homelessness Strategy which would need to be in place before the DCLG peer review in February 2017.  In terms of homelessness prevention, Housing Services worked very closely with Revenues and Benefits to identify people who would be likely to come into difficulty and Officers had identified several cohorts of households likely to be affected by the forthcoming changes associated with the Welfare Reform Bill who would be contacted to offer support.  The six District Councils in Gloucestershire and the Police and Crime Commissioner pilot sanctuary scheme, which offered target hardening and sanctuary room measures to residents at risk of domestic violence but wanting to remain in their homes, had been extended to March 2017 and 13 households from Tewkesbury Borough had accessed assistance through the scheme during 2015/16.  A joint bid for funding to provide safe, self-contained emergency accommodation for those fleeing domestic abuse made by the six Gloucestershire authorities had successfully secured £50,000 and 12 properties would be made available across the County for this purpose in partnership with Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Services and local housing associations.  The properties would be split across each District and Severn Vale Housing Society was currently identifying two properties in Tewkesbury Borough which would be available by July. The Council had also provided six households with a deposit to move to private rented accommodation within the Borough; a further 20 households had used the advice to move to private rented accommodation without the need for the Council to provide a deposit.  In addition, the Council’s Anti-social Behaviour Youth Diversion Worker had continued to engage with young and vulnerable members of the community, aged 11-19, working with 37 young people and their families over the course of the year; 17 of those cases had been successfully resolved with the remaining 20 ongoing.

17.5           Members were advised that sourcing emergency accommodation for homeless households within the Borough continued to be problematic; however, discussions were ongoing with a new housing provider to source and lease emergency accommodation within the area.  St Mungo’s Broadway had been awarded the contract to provide a Countywide Assertive Outreach Service for rough sleepers in May 2015 but DCLG funding was due to end in August and Officers were keen for the service to continue.  Whilst the rough sleepers estimate for Tewkesbury Borough was zero in 2015, rough sleeping did continue to occur with 46 referrals made to St Mungo’s, via the Council, from members of the public or Parish Councils during the year.  The Deputy Chief Executive had been exploring alternative funding options and it was hoped that this could move forward with joint funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner, Gloucestershire County Council and the other District Councils.

17.6           In terms of Choice Based Lettings, 409 social housing properties had been let in the Borough during the financial year; 79% of lettings were to households in emergency need. The current software contract was due to expire in September and the new contract had been awarded to Locata which it was felt would offer a better service to applicants, as well as being cheaper and easier for staff to use.   The ‘Safe at Home’ Home Improvement Agency continued to provide advice, information and help to the most vulnerable households in the Borough and provided assistance in finding builders and contractors for those who had qualified for a Disabled Facilities Grant.  A popular aspect of ‘Safe at Home’ was the handyman service which could be used to install minor adaptations and also provided a private service to a defined client group who may need help with small jobs around the home.  In the previous year, 254 private small repair jobs had been completed through this service.  The ‘Central Heating Fund Scheme’, run by Warm and Well, was aimed predominantly at properties that were heated by ‘on peak’ electricity systems, or solid fuel, and replaced them with modern, energy-efficient condensing boilers which could save a household £250 a year on average.  It was estimated that up to 1,000 homes could be installed with new heating systems across Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire through Government funding.  Householders may also be entitled to grants for cavity wall and loft insulation through the Warm and Well scheme and the advice line had dealt with 74 enquiries from households in the Borough during the previous year. 

17.7           Having considered the information provided, it was

RESOLVED          1. That the progress in respect of the outcomes identified in the Housing, Renewal and Homelessness Strategy 2012-16 Action Plan be NOTED.

2. That an Overview and Scrutiny Committee Workshop be arranged in respect of the Gold Standard and Homelessness element of the strategy.

3. That a report be brought to a future meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee setting out the Terms of Reference for the review of the overall Housing Strategy and to establish an Overview and Scrutiny Working Group to conduct the review.