Agenda item

Report of Interim Assistant Director, Housing and Social Care Commissioning

Purpose of Report

To set out the key points from the public consultation on the draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement (2021) and the main changes to the strategy document in response to the feedback received. In addition, this report seeks Executive approval of the final draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement. 

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended to:

1.1         Note the changes to the draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement (Appendix 1) in response to the feedback and officer response set out in the Consultation Report (Appendix 3)

1.2         Approve the final draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement to ensure that the council meets statutory requirements and complies with good practice.  

1.3         Delegate authority to the Assistant Director, Housing and Social Care Commissioning in consultation with the Lead Member for Housing, to:

·         make any minor editorial amendments to the strategy as needed prior to publication; and

·         approve annual updates to the Tenancy Strategy appendices to ensure the data remains relevant.

Resolved

(1)          That the changes to the draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement in response to the feedback and officer responses set out in the Consultation Report be noted.

(2)          That the final draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement (Annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved to ensure that the council meets statutory requirements and complies with good practice.   

(3)          That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director, Housing and Social Care Commissioning in consultation with the Lead Member for Housing, to make any minor editorial amendments to the strategy as needed prior to publication; and, to approve annual updates to the Tenancy Strategy appendices to ensure the data remains relevant.

The Interim Assistant Director, Housing and Social Care Commissioning submitted a report which set out the key points from the public consultation on the draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement (2021) and the main changes to the strategy document in response to the feedback received. In addition, this report seeks Executive approval of the final draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement. 

In introducing the report, the Lead Member for Housing thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their comments on the Strategy and thanked Housing Officers for their hard work on the Strategy.

At the discretion of the Chairman, Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Woodcock, addressed Executive.  

In response to Councillor Woodcock’s comments querying the delivery of social rent affordable housing by the Local Plan, the Lead Member for Housing explained that the report was the aspiration. There was a discrepancy between the number of people on the housing register and the number of properties. The best use of stock was made with a quick turnaround and discretion for officers to make a direct award.

The Housing Strategy and Development Officer explained that the Housing Team were liaising with Planning Policy regarding the Local Plan. It was important that schemes would work and therefore it was necessary to viably test policies to ensure deliverability.

Resolved

(1)          That the changes to the draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement in response to the feedback and officer responses set out in the Consultation Report be noted.

(2)          That the final draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement (Annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved to ensure that the council meets statutory requirements and complies with good practice.  

(3)          That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director, Housing and Social Care Commissioning in consultation with the Lead Member for Housing, to make any minor editorial amendments to the strategy as needed prior to publication; and, to approve annual updates to the Tenancy Strategy appendices to ensure the data remains relevant.

Reasons

Section 150 of the Localism Act 2011 requires Local Housing Authorities to publish a Tenancy Strategy that sets out the matters to which registered providers of social housing are to have regard when formulating their policies relating to the types and terms of tenancies they grant. The Executive is requested to approve the final draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement, to ensure that the council meets statutory requirements and complies with good practice.

Alternative options

Option 1: Not to update the Tenancy Strategy 2017. This approach is not recommended, as it is a statutory requirement to review the Strategy periodically and it would leave the Council open to legal challenge if it has not done so. In addition, the Housing Strategy 2019-2024 and the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2021-2026 set out an ambition to deliver more social rent tenure to meet identified needs. It will be difficult to achieve this ambition without an updated Tenancy Strategy as the 2017 version strongly promotes Affordable Rent and fixed-term tenancies.

Option 2: Delay the approval of the amended draft Tenancy Strategy and Affordability Statement until later in the year. This approach is not recommended as the feedback from the consultation and subsequent adoption of the new strategy will contribute towards informing the evidence base in support of the new Local Plan policies to 2040 which are currently being developed.