PLANNING AND HOUSING POLICY ADVISORY PANEL. 30 October 2012

Transcription

1 PLANNING AND HOUSING POLICY ADVISORY PANEL 30 Octber 2012 Held at Training Rm 1 - Elizabeth Huse, Stratfrd-upn-Avn Meeting cmmenced: 2.00 p.m. Meeting ended: 3.43 p.m. MINUTES Present: Aplgies: Cuncillr Gillian Rache (Chairman); Cuncillr Rev. N Beamer, R Hamburger, M Hwse, D Jhnstn, P Mrse and L Organ Cuncillr Saint (Leader f the Cuncil) - bserver 38. Disclsures f Interests There were n disclsures f interest made at this pint f the meeting. 39. Minutes The Minutes f the meeting held n 25 September 2012 were cnfirmed and signed. In respect f Minute 26 (Samburne Ward Financial Cntributin) Renata Msz (District Husing Enabler) updated the Panel n her discussins held since the meeting as fllws: Existing affrdable hmes 1. Samburne Trust - almshuses. Small registered prvider; we have checked at least three times whether it wants t extend the scheme but the answer is n. 2. Orbit - Mapplebrugh Green - 2 hmes - 1x2H; 1x3H 3. Orbit - Samburne - 4 hmes - 4x3H Definitin f affrdable hmes Legal has advised that the Cuncil's usual definitin f affrdable husing (i.e. prvisin f scial rent/affrdable rent r shared wnership) must be used. T d therwise wuld be unreasnable and wuld pen up the Cuncil t legal challenge and csts, and culd als prejudice the requirement fr affrdable husing n ther sites. "Imprvements" t existing prperties are unacceptable as is the pssible idea f giving the mney t smene n the husing waiting list t purchase a prperty. Currently the nly pssible ptin is fr planning t try and renegtiate the s106 and via a deed f variatin braden it ut t either part f the District r as is the nrm in ther S106s the whle District. An extended time limit within which t spend the mnies wuld prbably als be required.

2 40. Private Sectr Husing Assistance Plicy Nick Cadd (Husing and Cmmunities Manager) and Mike Bellerby (The Hme Imprvement Trust) made presentatins t the Panel in respect f the prpsals t revise the Private Sectr Husing Assistance Plicy ffered t residents f the District t imprve existing husing and t help peple t live as independently as pssible. The Panel was infrmed that the revised Husing Assistance Plicy attempted t ensure that the Cuncils resurces were targeted n the neediest whilst assistance was widened. The changes had been fcused n reducing the need fr the Cuncil t fund imprvements, passing the financial respnsibility fr this nt the wner, whilst balancing this with the need t supprt vulnerable and lder husehlds. Where grants were t be replaced, a cmprehensive package f Hme Imprvement Agency supprt had been established t ensure that any imprvements, adaptatins r repairs were prject managed and undertaken by cmpetent and apprpriate cntractrs. Whilst retaining sme grants fr certain emergency situatins effecting husehlds with very limited financial resurces, the mst significant aspect f the revisin was the intrductin f the ptin fr thse with cnsiderable equity f taking a lan t undertake imprvements, adaptatins r repairs. A trusted specialist prvider had been identified wh was able t deliver this in partnership with the Cuncil. Whilst the new Husing Assistance Plicy intrduced lans and aims t mve sme husehlders away frm financial dependence n the Cuncil, a number f measures were available t the neediest, n a means tested basis with each applicatin being cnsidered n its wn merits, including: Disabled Facilities Grants t assist peple with mbility difficulties accessing and mving arund their hmes remaining unchanged; Emergency Wrks Discretinary Grant linked t Categry 1 hazards where an urgent repair/replacement was required - up t 5,000 (means testing t be applied); Essential Wrks Discretinary Grant fr park hmes and husebats wh were unable t utilise ther surces f funding (lans/equity release) as these culd nt be secured n their accmmdatin - up t 5000 (means testing t be applied); and Empty Prperty Assistance Grant - up t 20,000 (subject t range f requirements). In additin t the abve, husehlds wh had cnsiderable equity in their prperty and fr whm the wrks were nt an emergency, but necessary, and wners f empty hmes wuld be able t access new lan arrangements with each applicatin being cnsidered n its wn merits, including: Empty Prperty Assistance Lan - up t 25,000 (subject t a five year payback perid and interest); and Equity release r ther lan prduct thrugh a nt fr prfit partner rganisatin and Hme Imprvement Agency supprt t prvide prcurement and supervisin f any cntractr activity - limited by

3 affrdability f repayment/equity available and n less than 5,000, nly available t ver 55 year lds. In respect f the funding arrangements fr the new arrangements, the Panel was presented with the fllwing table indicating the current 2012/13 budget fr grants and the prpsed 2013/14 budgets fr grants and lans: Husing Assistance Plicy Budgets 2012/13 and 2013/14 (Prpsed) 2012/ /14 Disabled Adaptatins 400,000 per Disabled Adaptatins 400,000 per and Disabled annum and Disabled Facilities annum Facilities Grants Grants Hme Imprvement 150, 000 per Hme Imprvement 50,000 per Grant Discretinary annum Grant Essential annum Grant Wrks Discretinary Grant (i.e. park hmes and husebats, etc.) Hme Imprvement 100,000 per Grant Emergency annum Wrks Discretinary Grant (i.e. linked t Categry 1 hazards) Ttal 550,000 Ttal 550,000 In additin t the abve, the Panel was infrmed that there was a ne-ff budget f 192,000 available fr Empty Hmes t be allcated as fllws: 2013/14 Empty Hmes Assistance Grant 89,000 ttal indicative sum Empty Hmes Lan Fund 89,000 ttal indicative sum Lan/Equity Release Incentive Payments 10,000 (x10) Hme Imprvement Trust/Huseprud 4,000 Membership Fee Ttal 192,000 Having regard t the abve, the Panel accepted that the Plicy fr Husing Renewal, intrduced in 2003, needed t evlve t reflect the issues dcumented in the Private Sectr Huse Cnditin Survey and the challenges faced by public sectr rganisatins. Under the suggested Husing Assistance Plicy it wuld be pssible t cntinue t deliver hme imprvement grants t thse mst in need and the use f lans and equity release prducts wuld braden the Cuncil s ffer and deliver ptins fr husehlds wh culd affrd repairs thrugh lans r equity release prducts. The new Plicy wuld require the Cuncil t wrk with new partners and in new ways. Hwever, the partners were trusted, well established and transparent and wuld wrk with the Cuncil t create an efficient prcess thrugh which applicatins fr assistance wuld flw. In additin, the use f empty hme lans

4 shuld widen the appeal f this type f assistance and the reductin f the Empty Hmes Assistance Grant wuld allw the Cuncil t return mre prperties t use fr the same mney. Having regard t the abve, it was RECOMMENDED t The Cabinet: (1) That the Private Sectr Husing Assistance Plicy as attached t the reprt be adpted; (2) That an initial target f creating 30 decent hmes per annum fr the Cuncil be set; and (3) That the Head f Enterprise, Husing and Revenues be requested t bring a review f the revised Private Sectr Husing Assistance Plicy t the Planning and Husing Plicy Advisry Panel n later than June Rent Express Scheme Review Nick Cadd (Husing and Cmmunities Manager) presented a paper summarising the annual review that had been undertaken in respect f the Rent Express Scheme (RES) which enabled the Cuncil t assist husehlds, wh were hmeless r threatened with hmelessness, int privately rented accmmdatin. Fllwing the review, it was prpsed t amend the Scheme t: imprve the efficiency and cst-effectiveness f the Scheme; mitigate the risks identified in the Review; and make it easier fr tenants and landlrds t understand the Scheme. Under the revised prpsals the Scheme wuld: retain the Depsit Guarantee which assists landlrds as it saved them frm having t ldge a cash depsit with a depsit prtectin scheme and wuld prvide them with the same level f prtectin as a cash depsit; retain the Rent Guarantee which prvides landlrds with the reassurance that up t ne mnth s rent arrears at the end f the tenancy wuld be cvered; retain the cash rent in advance payment t the landlrd; require the tenant t begin repaying the rent in advance as sn as the tenancy cmmenced. The tenant wuld be required t set up a standing rder befre the tenancy cmmenced and agree t affrdable repayments; and prmte the benefits f landlrd accreditatin t all landlrds using the Scheme. In cnsidering the revised Scheme, the Panel acknwledged that the RES had been successful in assisting husehlds wh were threatened with hmelessness

5 btain privately rented accmmdatin. Hwever, the annual review had shwn that sme changes were needed t imprve its efficiency and t address sme risks psed t the Scheme, i.e. the planned intrductin f Universal Credit. Having regard t the abve, it was RESOLVED: That the success f the Rent Express Scheme t date, be nted and the prpsed mdificatins t the Scheme be endrsed. 42. Husing Service Perfrmance Summary Q2 2012/13 Nick Cadd (Husing and Cmmunities Manager) presented a summary f the Husing Service Perfrmance fr Q2 2012/13. An updated paper was circulated at the meeting. The reprt was nted by the Panel. 43. Urgent Business There were n items f urgent business. CHAIRMAN