Agenda item

The Director for Housing and Communities to submit a report providing Scrutiny Committee with draft Housing and Landlord Policies for consultation and feedback.

The Director for Housing and Communities, Andrew Cotton, gave a brief summary of the report the purpose of which is to provide Members with an effective policy framework to address areas of weakness for the Council Housing Revenue Account services and highlighted the following:

 

·         Five polices had been drafted in recognition of the weaknesses identified in the policy framework for housing, they are in draft form and had been subject to an equality impact assessment; and were awaiting feedback from legal and finance and TFEC.

·         The reports would be going to Cabinet in January 2021 along with the new tenancy agreements and handbook.

 

During the discussion the following points were noted:

 

Domestic Abuse Policy

·         The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities, Cllr Pearson advised that the Community Safety Partnership had been discussing domestic violence and is currently working with County in respect of a programme being trialled in Birmingham called the Perpetrator Programme. The cost to the council would be approximately £4k per person and offers support for a minimum of a year.

·         Cllr Pearson will forward details of the programme to Members for further information.

·         The council would team up with domestic abuse charities who offer excellent training to enforce officer skill sets to deal with issues appropriately.

 

Tenancy Management Policy –

Mr Cotton agreed to look at the following:

·          Making reference to the Equalities Act 2010 part 4 to support vulnerable people.

·         Making reference to exclusion orders in the Injunctions

·         Making reference to behavioural contracts

·         Make clear that tenants can seek their own legal advice when at risk of eviction.

·         Ensure that social services would be contacted when vulnerable people are at risk of eviction.

 

Voids Policy

Mr Cotton agreed:

·         Make clearer the number of days a property is void

·         There would be a clause included in the new tenancy agreements that former tenants debts would be added as a condition of the new tenancy to help recover rechargeable works.

·         TFEC are discussing the ‘goodbye’ agreement and it is expected the amount would be approximately £200.

 

 

 

Right to Buy Policy

·         Mr Cotton advised that in section 4, Right to buy Sales and business Planning he is still awaiting finance input and the outcome of the remodelling of the housing revenue account business plan.

 

 

·         Mr Cotton agreed to update the policies with shorter review dates.

 

·         Mr Cotton advised that there is a commitment to leave existing adaptations in place when a property becomes void due to the costs and there more demand for properties with adaptations than properties that are available as tenants do not tend to move out of adapted properties.

 

·         Cllr Pearson advised that when the council commences building its own properties, as a tenant’s needs change then properties will be able to be adapted to allow the tenants to stay longer in their home ie converting downstairs store cupboards into wet rooms etc.

 

·         The Northgate project is work in progress to allow the three different teams involved in the void process to work from the same programme along the same workflows.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

1)    The Committee NOTED the content of the report

2)    The Committee COMMENTED on the Council’s draft Void Policy and Tenancy Management (Legal Admin) Policy

3)    The Committee AGREED TO PROVIDE any additional comment on the Right to Buy; Aids and Adaptation; and Domestic Abuse Policies