Agenda item

To consider the achievements made to date in respect of the outcomes identified in the Housing Strategy Action Plan. 

That the Housing Strategy Action Plan for 2018/19 be supported.

75.1           The report of the Head of Community Services, circulated at Pages No. 51-75, presented the action plan for 2018/19 which formulated the actions needed to continue to meet the priorities of the Housing Strategy. Members were asked to consider and support the Housing Strategy Action Plan for 2018/19.

75.2           The Deputy Chief Executive explained that the Housing Strategy 2017-21 had been developed by an Overview and Scrutiny Working Group and had been adopted in January 2017. The comprehensive Housing Strategy incorporated renewal as well as two distinct sub-strategies: the Homelessness and Prevention of Homelessness Strategy and the Tenancy Strategy. The strategy contained four key priorities to meet the needs of the Borough which were to increase the supply of housing; to prevent homelessness; to meet the needs of specific groups; and to improve the health and wellbeing of local people. The Homelessness Act 2002 and Local Government Act 2003 required all District Councils to develop a strategy that set out the Council’s policies, commitments and programme for a wide range of housing matters. Following the development of the Council’s Housing Strategy 2017-21, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had requested that outcomes identified in the strategy action plan be monitored, that regular updates be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that the annual action plan be refreshed and agreed by the Executive Committee on an annual basis. The report currently before Members was the annual refresh. Last year, the Council had achieved a good peer review outcome which meant the service could apply for bronze level status and this was also reflected in the action plan.

75.3           A Member drew attention to Page No. 53 – Paragraph 2.2.1 - of the report which explained that two actions regarding alternative construction methods to deliver affordable housing on Council-owned land had been removed following completion but at Page No. 66 it seemed the same action was being progressed. The Member questioned why this would have been removed as the Council had only just starting looking into it at this stage. In response, the Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that this was still being investigated and the action plan would be amended to make this clear. In terms of specific mentions of modular housing, the Deputy Chief Executive explained that this was a solution to a number of issues throughout the Housing Strategy action plan; however, it was not included as a specific action and this was something that could be added should Members so wish.

75.4           Referring to Page No. 59 – Identify long-term empty homes and use a range of enforcement and incentive options to bring vacant homes back into use; where possible evaluating and encouraging their use to benefit the Council’s housing services – a Member questioned whether Severn Vale Housing Society would be helping with this. In response, the Committee was advised that the Housing team interrogated the Council Tax system for records of empty homes and those tended to be private sector housing so would not be the responsibility of Severn Vale Housing Society. It was a statutory responsibility of the Council to bring properties back into use and Officers were looking at a number of incentives to achieve this including loans for repairs. A Member indicated that there were large numbers of empty properties and a huge need for homes; he questioned whether any authorities were successfully addressing this problem and also where the Council would get the funding to make loans to owners for those properties. The Deputy Chief Executive advised that, as part of the homelessness reduction plan, there was a need to look at all options in terms of bringing empty properties back into use. There was no specific plan as such but Officers were looking to develop a project around bringing properties back into use and what incentives would be needed etc. If the way forward was the provision of financial contributions it would of course be a decision for the Executive Committee to make. It was understood that Stroud District Council had an Empty Properties Officer who worked directly with landlords and would lead on projects; this may be the kind of approach the Council needed to consider. A Member expressed concern that the offer of loans to bring properties back into use could encourage landlords to let properties fall into disrepair and she felt it would be better to target empty properties that were already fit for purpose before those that were in need of refurbishment. She knew of a number of properties in her area that were brand new but had not been sold so had been empty for quite a long time, as well as one property that was fully refurbished and furnished but had lay empty for at least six months. The Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that a holistic approach was required and the Housing, Environmental Health and Revenues and Benefits teams were working closely to find the best way forward. The Revenues and Benefits Manager confirmed that there had been some announcements in the Chancellor’s autumn statement which could help the position; those were being considered and would be brought to Members as and when appropriate.

75.5           A Member suggested the report would be more helpful if it included quantifiable numbers i.e. how many homes the Council needed to bring back into use. In response, the Deputy Chief Executive advised that the purpose of the report was for the Executive Committee to consider and approve the action plan which was, essentially, a list of projects that would come forward over time. In terms of specific numbers, the Committee was advised that there were around 270 long term empty properties (those vacant for six months or more) in the Borough and just fewer than 1,900 people on the housing waiting list. All of the empty properties had been visited so Officers had a good grasp of what and where they were as well as what would be needed to bring them back into use. In response to a query regarding the status of the properties, Members were advised that empty properties which were for sale would be viewed favourably by the Council as long as the owners could demonstrate they were being actively marketed. Part of the issue was about raising the standard of housing stock for residents of the Borough but also to provide properties for people that needed them. In terms of the idea of providing a loan to homeowners to enable them to refurbish a property to bring it back into use, this would involve a legal charge on the property and a condition that it would be rented to someone in housing need once it was repaired. The Deputy Chief Executive thanked Officers for their views and indicated that the project could be prioritised higher on the action plan, should Members so wish.

75.6           A Member indicated that there were a lot of actions in the plan and he questioned whether, in reality, it could be resourced. In response, the Chief Executive explained that an action plan should not be submitted to Members if the resources were not available to achieve the actions. The action plan ran until 2019 but, if Members felt the use of empty homes needed to be more of a priority, Officers could look at bringing it forward; however, this may mean something else had to take less of a priority. In comparative terms, 270 long term empty properties was not a huge number but it was understood that every little helped in terms of the provision of housing. Bringing empty homes back into use was one of the ways in which the supply of housing could be increased.

75.7           Accordingly, it was