Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration.

Further to the dissolution of the Housing Commission, it was agreed that housing related briefings and updates would be considered by the Communities and Housing Scrutiny Committee. This report provide updates on the following areas:

·         Recent policy and funding announcements by the Government affecting housing. The briefing also provides an update report on the progress made against the planned installations of sprinklers to council owned high-rise housing blocks.

·         Current nature and extent of homelessness in the Borough, and key areas of work to address the issue. In particular, it outlines the response to the Mayor’s commitment to provide ‘A Bed for Every Night’ to rough sleepers over the whole of the winter period and other sub-regional activities.

·         Progress in delivering the Viaduct Housing Partnership development Programme.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 or e-mail: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) provide updates in respect of recent policy and funding announcements by the Government affecting housing; progress made against the planned installations of sprinklers to council owned high-rise housing blocks; the current nature and extent of homelessness in the Borough, and key areas of work to address the issue; and progress in delivering the Viaduct Housing Partnership development Programme.

The Cabinet Member for Communities & Housing (Councillor Sheila Bailey) also attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         A discussion took place in relation the circumstances surrounding the disestablishment of the Stockport Housing Commission.  It was stated that the Commission considered this matter at its last meeting where it was agreed to rationalise the number of member-bodies that considered related matters.  At that point it was proposed that those reports that would have been referred to the Commission would be considered by the Scrutiny Committee, and that this position would be reassessed at the end of the municipal year.

·         It was confirmed that capacity had been increased with regard to homelessness provision over the winter period.

·         It was noted that the potential costs associated with the installation of sprinkler systems in the Council’s high rise housing had risen to £10m, and it was queried as to the level of confidence the Council had in this assessment.  In response, it was stated that the Council had undertaken consultant surveys to provide an estimate of the likely costs and that at this stage in advance of a tendering process, the Council was as confident as it could be about the robustness of these estimates.

·         The inequitable distribution of Housing Programme Funds across the country was highlighted.  It was stated that conversation continued to take place between Greater Manchester and Homes England to establish if a greater proportion of funding could be allocated to the region.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the potential for the roll-out of Universal Credit in Stockport to exacerbate existing issues whereby people are made homeless within the private rented sector and the capacity of the Council to deal with the consequences of that.

·         It was stated that while the size of the private rented sector continued to increase in Stockport, there was a risk that the rollout of Universal Credit may arrest this growth as landlords decide to withdraw from the sector and dispose of their properties.

·         The Council had two officers that dealt with those cases where landlords had served 21 day notices on tenants to ensure that they challenged landlords to consider the full range of options available to them.

·         Additional resources were available for those who were rough sleeping and every effort was made to provide them with accommodation regardless of whether they met the strict homelessness criteria.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.