Issue - meetings

(Report of Director of Housing - To be introduced by the Executive Member for Housing): To summarise the results of consultation on demoted tenancies and identify photographs and to outline the further stages in the review of the Council’s tenancy agreement.

We noted that the Director of Finance had commented that he felt it was a reasonable assumption that the changes to the tenancy conditions would have a nil financial effect.

Reference was made to discussions which had taken place at our meeting on 6 July 2004 on consideration of the report ‘Revised Re-housing Policy Following Consultation’ and clarification was sought of the question of introductory or probationary tenancies as opposed to demoted tenancies which was one of the subjects of the current report.  We were informed that support for the use of introductory tenancies had been expressed at a recent meeting of the North Tottenham Area Housing Forum and had been endorsed at a subsequent meeting of the Housing Management Board.

We had not approved the use of introductory tenancies at our earlier meeting and remained to be convinced about whether such probationary arrangements were equitable. The case for demoted tenancies to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour and to help prevent rent arrears was altogether clearer. We noted that the review of the Council’s tenancy agreement was on-going and that the question of introductory tenancies could be further considered as part of that process. In the meantime Members of the Executive could attend Area Housing Forum meetings as appropriate to explain the current position.    

RESOLVED:

1.      That the results of the consultation and the further stages in the review of the tenancy agreement be noted.

2.      That the proposed introduction of demoted tenancies be agreed.

3.      That approval be granted to an amendment to the tenancy agreement requiring identity photographs of tenants.

4.      That the issue of introductory tenancies be considered as part of the on-going review of the Council’s tenancy agreement.