Issue - items at meetings - Intensive Housing Management Service Review Part 2

A report setting out the outcome from the Housing Support Review and recommendations for future housing support arrangements, within an independent living framework.

Cabinet:

1) NOTED the outcome from the Intensive Housing Management (Housing Support) Review;

2) APPROVED the establishment of an Independent Living Framework to provide clarity on the Council’s housing support arrangements and associated costs;

3) DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities, in consultation with Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services to make minor amendments to the Framework and to publish the final version on the Council’s website and provide to tenants;

4) APPROVED that the Council’s Intensive Housing Management Service will cease and be replaced by the arrangements set out in the report recommendations 2.5 and 2.6;

5) APPROVED the implementation of an Independent Living Support Service applied to properties designated as ‘Sheltered Housing’, as specified at section 5.15 of the report, and;

5.1) APPROVED that the cost of delivering the Independent Living Support Service is met by an appropriate service charge, as set out at section 5.26 of the report;

5.2) APPROVED that a 20% discount is implemented in 2024/25, as a contribution to elements of the service that are ineligible for housing benefit;

5.3) APPROVED that a 10% discount is implemented in 2025/26, as a contribution to elements of the service that are ineligible for housing benefit;

5.4) APPROVED that the full Independent Living Service Charge will be implemented from 2026/27;

5.5) APPROVED the commencement of a four-week period of consultation on the proposed Independent Living Support Service for those tenants living within the specified properties;

5.6) DELEGATED Authority to the Director for Housing and Communities, in consultation with the Director for Corporate Services, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services and Portfolio Holder for Corporate Property, Finance and Resources to consider feedback from the consultation, finalise and implement an Independent Living Support Service Charge and report back to Cabinet if required;

5.7) DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities, in consultation with the Director for Corporate Services and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services to create a one-off budget of up to £50,000 to enable improvements to communal areas of the sheltered housing schemes in 2024/25, funded from the HRA Regeneration and Development reserve;

6) APPROVED the personalised exit and transitional plan, as set out in

section 5.33 of the report for the remaining ‘dispersed’ Council properties that have historically been subject to an Intensive Housing Management charge, the outcome of which will be that each tenant will be directly supported to access alternative support and lifeline services relevant to their individual needs and preferences, and;

6.1) APPROVED the commencement of a four-week period of consultation on the proposed personalised exit and transitional plan arrangements for tenants in dispersed properties;

6.2) DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities, in consultation with the Director for Corporate Services and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services, authority to consider feedback from the consultation, finalise and implement the exit and transitional plan arrangements and to report back to Cabinet if required.

(In an alteration to the agenda, this item was considered after the item ‘matters referred from Scrutiny Committee in accordance with Scrutiny Procedure Rules’.)

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services introduced the report and moved the recommendation. The Deputy Leader seconded the motion. It was explained that the report sets out the outcome from the Housing Support Review and recommendations for future housing support arrangements, within an independent living framework.

The Director for Housing and Communities provided further explanation of the proposal and the process undertaken to get to this stage.

During discussion the following points were noted:

· Pleasing to see that via a review of the Housing Allocations Policy there would be scope to restrict the allocation of some properties to applicants with defined characteristics.

· Cabinet recognised that it had taken a while to get to this point.

· Officers were thanked for reviewing residents’ entitlement to housing benefit in order to mitigate the increase in costs.

· The subsidised charges were welcomed.

· It was recognised that communal areas are important, particularly in terms of socialisation for residents.