Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director for Housing and Growth. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing Regeneration and Planning]

This paper will include options which can be offered to leaseholders whose properties will be demolished as part of regeneration schemes. This decision involves updating the existing Re-housing and Payments policy for consultation. This updated policy would apply to housing schemes led by the Council and extend to schemes led by Haringey Development Vehicle, and Housing Association schemes where the Council determines that it has a strategic interest.

The policy will also clarify the commitment to tenants, leaseholders and freeholders on re-housing on estate renewal schemes.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning introduced the report which was seeking approval to consult on a revised re – housing and payments policy which was previously agreed in July 2016 but required revision in light of progress with the HDV [Haringey Development Vehicle]and taking into account new DCLG and GLA guidance on estate renewal.

This revised policy aimed to provide:

• Borough wide commitments to residents, whose properties will be demolished as part of estate renewal and regeneration schemes, on how they will be re-housed and the terms they can expect. This is aimed at improving lives of residents, extending promises tenants and leaseholders beyond statutory requirements and improving life chances.
• Set a benchmark for the housing options that must be offered on a borough wide basis.
• Clarify the Council’s commitments to tenants.
• Extend the options for leaseholders beyond the statutory minimums set out in the existing ERRPP.
• Extend the commitment to all Haringey Development Vehicle schemes and Housing Association schemes where the Council determines it has a strategic interest.
• Respond to the recent publication of guidance on estate regeneration by the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Mayor of London and the issues around the Secretary of State’s decisions on the Aylesbury Estate.

In response to questions from Councillor Newton the following information was noted.

• There would be some estate renewal by the HDV and some by Housing Associations. Whilst the pledge is for equivalent terms, if a new resident moves to the estate and has a new landlord it may be on a different type of tenancy. However, Cllr Strickland stressed that Council Tenants moving into a HDV property will have lifetime security as they do in their current tenure.

• The leaseholder shared equity and shared ownership options put forward go beyond the Council’s statutory obligations. There will be a value difference when moving to an improved regenerated area but it is clear that people will not be penalised and will get their share of the uplift when selling on their property.

• The Council cannot guarantee exactly same rent when moving from one place to another – which is also the same situation now. Currently the rent setting formula depends on your landlord and the size of the property. For example, if a resident was moving to a larger home in the regeneration to meet family space needs, then the rent may increase. The Head of Housing stressed that the rent being applied, on a replacement social rented home, will be a social rent based on the national rent setting formula, not an “Affordable rent” that can be up to 80% of the market rent.

RESOLVED

1.         To approve the draft Estate Renewal Rehousing and Payments Policy (Appendix 1) for consultation and in particular:

a) The application of this policy to all estate renewal schemes of 50 or more properties led by the Council

b) The extension of this policy to schemes led by the Haringey Development Vehicle, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14