PAPER E
SOCIAL SERVICES,
HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT COMMITTEE – 19 FEBRUARY 2004
HOUSING STRATEGY
REPORT
OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AND
HOUSING
REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
To consider and agree the Housing Strategy
statement.
ACTION REQUIRED BY
THE SELECT COMMITTEE
To debate the
content of the Housing Strategy and make recommendations.
BACKGROUND
All local authorities
are required to produce an annual Housing Strategy that sets out the needs
within the locality together with a series of proposals indicating how these
needs will be addressed. The Housing
Strategy has traditionally been the vehicle used by the Government through the
ODPM for determining the capital allocations to be granted to authorities.
It is the aim of the
Government Office for the South East (GOSE) to achieve a position that all
local authority housing strategies in their region meet the `fit for purpose’
standard by April 2004. This is in
contrast with the position last year where no SE strategy met this criterion.
With the agreement of
GOSE we submitted a draft Housing Strategy before Christmas. Their feedback was generally positive, with
some pointers of issues to address. The
draft was also circulated widely to key stakeholders for consultation and the
feedback has been positive.
The Strategy has
already been to and agreed by Executive on the 17th December 2003
and Full Council on the 21st January 2004.
The attached strategy
document is now all but complete. We
are currently awaiting the results of Housing Market Research, which is due to
be complete over the next couple of weeks.
It is not expected that the results of this study will require
significant variations to the current strategy document.
The final document
will be published along with a separate Technical Annexe, which members will
see referred to as part 2 within the body of the text. This will contain the technical detail to
underpin and provide further detail to the main strategy document.
RELEVANT PLANS,
POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Housing Strategy
links closely to a number of other Council strategy, including the Social
Inclusion Strategy, the Equality and Diversity Policy, the Community Plan and
the Corporate Plan. In addition, the
priorities set within the Strategy reflect those adopted within the Area
Investment Framework (AIF).
The Housing Strategy
is an overarching document which also covers the Homelessness Strategy and the
Housing Renewal Strategy, both of which have already been agreed by members.
CONSULTATION PROCESS
There has been
widespread consultation in the development of the Housing Strategy. This has involved an initial seminar in July
attended by over 80 delegates from a wide range of representation, including
members, private developers, voluntary agencies, government bodies and other
corporate representation.
A Strategy Steering
Group comprising key stakeholders, including members, IOW Economic Partnership,
Planning Services, ROCC, the RCC, Housing Associations and the PCT has
supplemented this.
A consultation forum
with housing association tenants was held at the beginning of December.
As indicated above,
part 1 of the strategy was sent to a range of individuals and organisations for
comments related to approach or detailed content.
Members will also be
aware that the Housing Strategy is the overarching document, which also
encompasses three more specific strategies relating to Homelessness, Housing
Renewal and Supported Housing. The
first two of these have already been developed following further
consultation. The Supported Housing
Strategy will be developed
FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER
IMPLICATIONS
There are a number of
major financial implications attached to housing activity on the Island. The Homelessness and Housing Renewal
Strategies already adopted by members included costed action plans, and these
have been incorporated within the Housing Strategy.
The financial
implications of addressing the various housing needs within the strategy are
outlined fully in the Implementation Plan in Section 5. The required levels of expenditure are
offset where appropriate with expected income or the potential income generation
opportunities. The current indications
are that revenue implications can be fully met subject to the outcome of
Service Plan bids and bids to the ODPM for further resources.
The Bed and Breakfast
Unit has notified us that we have been allocated an amount of £80,000 for the
coming year for homeless prevention measures.
We have also been notified by GOSE of our Capital Allocation for 2004/5
and 2005/6 which is £1.7 million and £1.76 million respectively. This is a rise of £200,000 on our allocation
for 2003/4. We still await notification
from the Regional Housing Board regarding the ADP funding for the same period.
We have developed our
targets based on these allocated resources.
However, some are still predicated on receiving anticipated levels of
funding through the ADP. Should we not
receive the expected amount, we will either have to revise our targets or seek
alternative forms of funding.
There are no specific
legal issues arising from the Housing Strategy. However, many of the functions covered by the Strategy are the
subject of statutory requirements in terms of delivering outcomes.
These are
particularly apparent in the areas of Housing Renewal and Homelessness, where
the Council has very clearly laid down responsibilities for responding to
articulated needs.
For homelessness, in
particular, the Government has recently announced its intention to make it
unlawful for local authorities to place households with children in bed and
breakfast for more than six weeks.
Appendix 1
- Housing Strategy (A copy of the Strategy has been circulated to members of
the Select Committee only. A copy is available to view in the Members room or
on the Councils website : www.iwight.com)
Appendix 2
- Housing Strategy Consultees
Isle of Wight Housing
Strategy 2003-6
Regional Housing
Strategy 2004-6
GOSE feedback on 2002
Housing Strategy
Housing Strategy
Matrix - Penningtons
Contact Point : Martyn Pearl, 823061 e-mail [email protected] .
GORDON
KENDALL
Portfolio
Holder for Social Services and Housing