Agenda item

Cabinet received a report which requested it to note and comment on the activity of the Housing Needs Service over the previous year and to review and comment on the information contained within the Homelessness Review. The report further sought Cabinet’s comments and agreement on the broad strategic aims of the Homelessness Strategy and to recommend the Strategy be adopted by Council.

Councillor Hiller introduced the item and provided an overview of the background to the issue, advising that the document had originally been presented to the Strong and Supportive Communities Scrutiny Committee in June 2013 where there had been a number of comments made regarding the relevance of some of the comparative data and other references being out of date. A subsequent re-write of the Review had been undertaken to ensure it was current and relevant to the issues faced in the city. The draft Strategy had also been revised to incorporate an overview of the work of the whole of the Strategic Housing Team.

Further key points were highlighted by Councillor Hiller including the re-submission and subsequent approval of the report by the Strong and Supportive Scrutiny Committee; the Strategy taking the form of an action plan, which was to be reviewed on a quarterly basis; the four strategic aims contained within the action plan; the new Housing Allocations Policy which had been adopted two years ago and the resulting changes for applicants; the number of apparent live applications which had been on the housing register in January 2013, being in the region of 10,000, there now being only 3,000;  the number of times that the service had been contacted during 2013/14, this being in the region of 25,000 times; the numbers of individuals who had gone on to have face to face interviews, this being around 5,500; from April 2013 to March 2014 nearly 1,000 new applications had been registered 1,200 properties had been allocated through the Choice Based Letting Scheme; the Council having a statutory responsibility for genuinely homeless people and the dramatic reduction in the numbers of homelessness applications in the city; the continued support offered to rough sleepers and the improved situation in this arena with the numbers of known rough sleepers having reduced by 85% in the last five years and the good work undertaken by not just the Council, but also the One Service resettlement staff at the prison. 

Cabinet debated the report and key points raised, along with responses to questions provided by Councillor Hiller and the Council’s Housing Needs Manager, included:

·         Councillor Seaton positively commended the work of the service, particularly in relation to the work undertaken to reduce homelessness;

·         Concern was expressed that individuals were being made homeless due to rent increases by landlords and subsequently being advised by the Council’s Housing Needs Team that they were deliberately making themselves homeless due to incurring rent arrears. It was confirmed that each case was addressed on its own merits, and the changes which had been made to the Allocations Policy had made changes to the entry criteria with regards to evictions. Exploration had to be undertaken as to why particular individuals were in arrears and whether they had control over that situation or not. Members were requested to contact the Council’s Housing Needs Manager directly if there were any particular cases of concern within their wards;

·         A holistic approach was being taken to the situation and the Council supported the work of Partners, including private landlords and the construction of houses by the Housing Associations; and

·         There had been a significant improvement made in relation to the empty homes situation over the last three years and this could be attributed to the work of the Empty Homes Officer, utilising the valued resource in the city through effective working with landlords and bringing properties up to standard.

         Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED:

1.    To note and comment on the activity of the Housing Needs Service over the last year;

2.    To comment on the Homelessness Review; and

3.    To agree on the broad strategic aims of the Homelessness Strategy and to recommend that the Strategy be adopted by Council.

          REASONS FOR THE DECISION

          The Homelessness review and Strategy had been written to meet the requirements of Section 1 of the Homelessness Act 2002.

          ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

To not conduct the homelessness review and formulate a strategy. Section 1(4) required housing authorities to publish a new homelessness strategy, based on the results of a further homelessness review, within the period of five years beginning with the day on, which their last homelessness strategy was published.