Issue - items at meetings - Adopting a new Tenancy Strategy

Report of the Corporate Director of Adults, Housing and Health. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning (Deputy Leader)

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FOR ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Approves the adoption of the draft Tenancy Strategy to come into effect from 4 November 2025.

2. Delegate authority to the Director of Housing in consultation with the Cabinet member for Housing and Planning to make any future modifications to this strategy required by changes to legal or regulatory requirements arising in the four-year period before the strategy is due for review.

Reasons for decision:

A Strategy setting out the Council’s expectations for Registered Providers (RP’s) of Social Housing in the borough is important for providing guidance and support to RP’s on a range of issues:

• in letting social housing

• developing housing policies

• and supporting residents to live independently and sustain their tenancies.

Haringey’s current Tenancy Strategy ran from 2014 – 2016. A new Tenancy Strategy was required.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing. The Council could not have continued with an out-of-date tenancy strategy. This option was rejected because it would not meet the Council’s needs or those of its tenants. Introducing this new strategy will allow the Council to meet its obligations under the Localism Act 2011.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, and Deputy Leader of the Council introduced the report.

It was explained that the housing associations working across Haringey provided excellent services and that there was good opportunities for information sharing between partners. It was stressed that the process of learning was especially important for the Council on its journey to transform the services it provided to Council tenants and leaseholders andto support housing associations to achieve improvements. It was noted that working with housing associations to improve social housing across the borough was one of the objectives in our Housing Strategy 2024–2029.

It was explained that the proposed Tenancy Strategy was another step on the improvement journey, confirming the Council’s approach to tenancy management and our expectations of Registered Providers (RPs) through the language of partnership and collaboration. It was highlighted that the insights and experiences of our residents, particularly through the Tenancy Management Continuous Improvement Group and the input and feedback received from other RPs of social housing in Haringey through the online consultation held, played a key role in facilitating improvement.

In response to comments and questions from Councillors Carlin and Barnes, the following information was shared:

It was explained by officers that the Council would re-emphasise the Council’s priorities with RPs and was working strengthen the relationship with them.
It was agreed that any future modification made to the policy by officers would be shared with Members when it occurred.
It was explained by officers that the performance information of work with RPs were a work in progress. However, it was stressed that the proposed Policy ensured that RPs would work more closely with the Council. It was additionally explained by officers that the Council was working to more standardise KPIs with RPs, however, it was stressed that this was also work in progress.