Agenda item

(Report of the  Director  for Planning, Regeneration and Development. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration).This report seeks Cabinet approval to begin a six week period of public consultation on the draft Haringey Housing Strategy 2015 - 2020.  The consultation period will give the council’s residents, partners and stakeholders the opportunity to inform the development of the final Strategy for Cabinet to recommend adoption by Full Council later in 2015.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration introduced the report which sought  Cabinet approval to begin a six week period, starting in May 2015, of public consultation on the draft Haringey Housing Strategy 2015 - 2020.   Cabinet noted that the consultation period would give the Council’s residents, partners and stakeholders the opportunity to inform the development of the final Strategy  and adoption by Full Council later in 2015.

The strategy focused on the following four main priorities:

·         Increased help to those in crisis, preventing homelessness and housing issues and providing support.

·         Ensuring that a clear dividend of social housing was delivered

·         Driving up the quality of all homes, including private sector housing and the setting up of a lettings agency.

·         Increasing the number of homes and estate renewals.

RESOLVED

      i.        That the first round of consultation (Appendix B) and the Equalities Impact Assessment (Appendix C) be noted;

    ii.        That the  issues raised by the Regulatory Committee at its meeting of 3 March 2015 and the officer response at Section 8 of the report be noted;

   iii.        That the draft Housing Strategy document as a statement of the Council’s housing priorities for the period 2015 - 2020 for public consultation be endorsed; and

   iv.        That the proposed process for consultation and adoption of the final Strategy at paragraph 6.11 be noted.

Alternative Options considered

The Council’s existing Housing Strategy was written in 2008/09 and covers the 10-year period 2009 to 2019.  Consequently the Council could consider taking no action and not renew the Housing Strategy.  However, since it was published there have been many changes that have led us to believe that it is no longer fit for purpose.

The Council could also consider carrying out a simple review and refresh of the 2009 – 2019 Strategy.  However, the extent of the changes since 2009 are such that this would not enable the Council to adequately meet the challenges it faces.

Alternatively, the Council could rescind the Housing Strategy altogether and move forward without one – there is no statutory requirement on a local authority to produce a housing strategy – however, having a strategy is considered both best practice and necessary to articulate how the Council will meet the housing challenges and deliver its housing objectives and priorities.

Reasons for Decision

Producing a housing strategy is considered best practice.  It summarises the key housing challenges facing the borough and sets out how boththe council and its partners can work together to tackle them.

The strategy will help the Council, in partnership with others, to make sure that: 

·           Our existing housing is in a good, safe condition;

·           New housing meets the needs of our community and is built to good quality standards;

·           We target limited resources to those who need them the most; and

·           Our partners know what is expected of them when providing housing and housing related services.

The Council is proposing a revised housing strategy for the period 2015 to 2020, as its current housing strategy is considered out of date.  Since the current Housing Strategy was published in 2009, there have been significant changes at a local, regional and national level.  These include:

a)    Changes in government policy on local government, housing and welfare with Haringey facing a greater challenge than ever in meeting the housing needs of its residents but with less money and fewer staff

b)    A significant reduction in public subsidy for affordable housing with the introduction of affordable rents at up to 80% of local market rents

c)    A growing population; Haringey’s population has grown from 216,510 in 2001 to a projected 293,749 by 2026 with particular growth in working age and older residents

d)    Further Alterations to the London Plan (FALP) – has set Haringey an increased target of building 1,502 new homes in the borough per year for the period between 2015/16 and 2025/26

e)    A growing gap between incomes and housing costs in Haringey

f)     A growing private rented sector with increasing concern about its quality, management and affordability.