The Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities and the Strategic Housing and Health Manager have been invited to attend for this item.

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities, the Strategic Housing and Health Manager and the Housing Options Manager to the meeting.  He explained the Scrutiny Committee’s concern over the lack of progress in the recommendations and subsequent invitation to attend the meeting.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities thanked the Chairman and explained that whilst the recommendations were being worked on, updates had not been forthcoming, but would be provided in the future.

The Chairman went through the recommendations one by one and invited questions.

Recommendation (1)

In response to a question from a Member, the Strategic Housing and Health Manager explained the difference between affordable and social housing and different types of housing schemes available.

In the discussion that followed, the Strategic Housing and Health Manager explained that affordable homes were not only available to homeless households and explained the process of bidding on social housing.  She advised that new homes built were not necessarily automatically given to the homeless.  The Housing Options Manager added that, of the 30 homes currently available to bid on, six per month were usually allocated to the homeless.  She said that she hoped it would soon rise to 10 per month.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities advised that there was a number of criteria to examine when considering if an applicant qualified for a property, and a homeless person did not automatically rise to the top of the list.

Recommendation (2)

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities said that there were meetings with Optivo on a quarterly basis, as well as more regular communication when a proposed new housing development exceeded more than 10 houses.  He added that the Cabinet Member for Planning was carrying out a review of how homes in the future could be constructed with facilities to be suitable homes for life.

Recommendation (5)

In response to a question from a Member on whether loans could be used to restore properties, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities advised that the Policy was to bring homes back into use for landlords to rent out commercially.

In the debate that followed, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities referred to the former Citizens Advice Bureau building in Station Street, Sittingbourne being considered for temporary housing accommodation by Cabinet on 11 July 2018, and the 11 new properties Optivo were planning to build on land-locked land at Minster recently sold by SBC.  He added that 65 empty homes were brought back to use last year and work was continuing to add more.

A Member drew attention that the development of new housing built by Housing Associations could not be sustained without subsidies as costs would not be covered.  The Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities agreed, and highlighted the reduction in housing stock as a direct result of the Right to Buy scheme.

The Housing Options Manager spoke of the affordability tests carried out by Optivo and advised that only one case had been turned down. She said that this case had been challenged and overcome.

In response to a Member, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities advised that SBC’s responsibility was a duty of care, not to provide all homeless people with a house.  He added that Officers worked closely with local landlords and referred to the Landlord Forum.

Recommendation (6)

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities advised that the Homelessness Reduction Act came into force in April 2018 and the change in criteria suggested by the Scrutiny Committee had therefore been superceded.  He added that each case would be different and considered on its merits.

In response to a question from a Member, the Housing Options Manager agreed to circulate the figures of the number of Housing Association tenants moving into the Borough from other Boroughs.  She reminded Members of the resident criteria and advised that they did not have the data of those moving into affordable housing properties.

Recommendation (7)

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities said that due to an oversight, the original letter had not been sent.  He added that the letter had now been drafted and would be shared with Scrutiny Committee Members when sent out.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities agreed to provide information on Private Rented Agreements requested by a Member.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities, the Strategic Housing and Health Manager and the Housing Options Manager for their attendance and extended an invitation to attend the Scrutiny Committee to give an update in six months.

Resolved:

(1)   Members noted the progress made on the Recommendations.