Agenda item

The Panel received a report, which provided an overview of the process of acquiring homes to lease to the Haringey Community Benefits Society (HCBS) and ensuring that these homes were up to a high standard. The report was introduced by Cllr Carlin, Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters and Planning as set out in the agenda pack at pages 95-98 of the agenda pack. Hannah Adler, Interim Head of Housing Strategy and Policy was also present for this agenda item.  The following arose during the discussion of this report:

a.    The Panel noted that the HCBS was a separate organisation, albeit with  a close relationship to the Council (two of the five directors were nominated by LBH) which purchased properties using retained right to buy receipts through the HRA. These properties were leased to households nominated by the Council and the leases lasted for seven years, before returning to the Council’s HRA at the end of this period.

b.    The Panel sought clarification about what happened to properties after seven years. In response, officers advised that this eventuality had not arisen as none of the properties had reached the seven year milestone yet. However, after the properties had been returned to the Council they would go back into the Council’s housing stock and would be allocated to those at the top of the priority register.

c.    The Panel queried what would happen to the person living in that property, as it was assumed that their circumstances would have been deemed to have changed in the intervening seven years, as they may no longer be eligible for a Council home. In response, officers advised that they did not have a specific policy in place at present and that this eventuality would not arise for another three years or so. However, a policy position would be developed in due course as part of the wider allocations policy.

d.    In response to a follow up question on timescales, the Panel were advised that officers were currently in the process of developing a new allocations policy to cover all types of allocations. This would go out to consultation once it had been developed.

e.    The Panel raised concerns that a family living in temporary accommodation,  allocated through the HCBS, would lose their place on the housing register for that  seven year period. In response, the Panel was advised that this was the same if that family had been placed into the private rented sector for those seven years, or had not made a homelessness declaration. A new assessment of need would be carried out after those seven years and a determination would be made based in their circumstances at that point. There was huge level of need for housing in the borough and it was likely that many people’s situation would have changed in the intervening seven year period. Some people would likely be able to live in private rented accommodation.

f.     The Cabinet Member set out that there was an acute shortage of housing in the borough and that, as politicians, members were going to have think about how they wanted to prioritise social housing in the borough as it was not possible to provide it to everyone who wanted it.

g.    The Cabinet Member commented that the private renters White Paper, if passed into law, would provide an additional level of regulation in the private rented sector, including rent controls of sorts as landlords would not be allowed to charge over the market rate. It was hoped that this would make a tangible difference for those renting in the private sector, particularly as it would prohibit no fault evictions and provide those living in this sector with greater security of tenure. The Chair commented that he worried that there seemed to be a lot of faith being put in the government to pass this bill, given it was developed under the a previous administration. The Cabinet Member advised that Michael Gove was now back in the Cabinet and it was his White Paper.

RESOLVED

Noted

RESOLVED

That the report was noted.