The Panel requested a written response from the Head of Business Improvement about the pressures affecting measure CS002: Time to process changes in circumstances.

The Panel noted that a written response (previously circulated now appended) had been provided in respect of the numbers in measures HC016: Number of affordable homes for rent delivered and HC006: Total number of affordable homes completed in year.

In response to a question, the Head of Housing Services advised that the reduction in the number of children in temporary accommodation was an excellent result given the circumstances and he did not know what more the Council could do in seeking to reduce this figure, given that a range of initiatives were already in place.  He added that the impacts of the Homelessness Reduction Bill would need to be planned for and would hit the Council financially.  The Council’s response would be built into the forthcoming budget round.

The Panel heard that successful interventions with rough sleepers were defined as those where a person to whom the Council had a duty to house had been taken off the streets into accommodation or prevented from sleeping on the street.

The Head of Housing Services also confirmed that the tower block refurbishment project was an intense and complicated project that had impacted his department and used a lot of resource.

The Head of Housing and Property introduced the quarterly performance report, which set out Council performance against higher level indicators at the end of March 2016.  He said that the Council had achieved strong results in challenging circumstances.  The key pressure was on homelessness, rough sleeping and the use of temporary accommodation.

In response to a question about the numbers of children in temporary accommodation, the Panel heard that the majority of households in temporary accommodation were families with children.  Most of the 120 households in temporary accommodation were housed in general needs stock which was suitable and secure.  These households did not have to regularly move to new accommodation and change schools.  The use of private rented stock had been falling over a number of years but the Council had for the first time last year breached the 6 week time limit on housing a family in bed and breakfast accommodation.  The Council was buying additional stock to be used as temporary accommodation through a real lettings investment which was managed by St. Mungo’s Broadway.

The Panel requested to monitor the following information over time:

·         The total number of children in temporary accommodation;

·         Numbers of families and single person households in temporary accommodation;

·         The average length of time spent in temporary accommodation.