Cabinet, at its meeting on 10 July 2024, will consider a report from the Executive Director (Communities and People) providing an update on the progress made in Year 1 of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 and seeking approval for implementation of the Year 2 action plan. Cllr Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities and Nerys Parry, Head of Housing Services have been invited to present the report and answer questions. The Panel is asked to consider the report and agree any recommendations.

Richard Wood, Housing Strategy and Needs Manager introduced the report, which provided an update on the progress made in Year 1 of the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 and sought Cabinet approval for implementation of the Year 2 action plan. The Panel was provided with a brief overview and background to the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28 and advised that the ‘Emerging Risks and Challenges’ section of the report was particularly key given current demand pressures on Housing Services. The Year 2 action plan sought to address those emergent risks and challenges.

In response to questions, the Panel was advised that:

·       The action plan would be reviewed regularly in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities to monitor and report on progress against the commitments in the strategy and delegated authority would be sought to revise the action plan throughout the year in response to emerging priorities; the action plan would continue to be reported on annually to Cabinet and Scrutiny which would allow for oversight and scrutiny on an annual basis.

·       The Head of Housing Services would seek clarification on the Council’s intended approach, definitions and timescales in relation to First Homes and affordable homes and report back to the Panel.

·       The Year 2 action plan would be RAG-rated throughout the course of the year in accordance with progress made in delivering the actions.

·       Officers would include the previous year’s action plan in future subsequent annual review reports to allow progress to be considered from year-to-year.

·       The Council was responsible for discharging funding for the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2) grant; the Head of Housing Services would seek clarification on current uptake/spend and report back to the Panel.

·       The Council had seen a large increase in demand for Temporary Accommodation, however there had been a decrease in length of stay due to a concerted focus being placed on faster move-on from Temporary Accommodation.

·       Housing First was primarily aimed at rough sleepers rather than those requiring Temporary Accommodation; rough sleepers were a separate client group to those requiring Temporary Accommodation.

·       The Head of Housing Services would provide an update after the meeting on the implementation of the Panel’s recommendation on the strategy from the previous year, which was accepted in part by Cabinet: ‘That the Council works with OX Place to consider how it might move towards having a higher percentage of new homes let at social rent level than a simple majority.’

·       Work was underway in relation to the asset management strategy referenced in the report; there would be the opportunity for Scrutiny and wider Member input into that document. The asset management strategy and the HRA Business Plan were interlinked and aligned to the budget-setting process; it was anticipated that both documents would be submitted to Cabinet in December 2024 and could be reviewed by Scrutiny beforehand in the usual way.

·       Tenant engagement had already commenced in relation to the asset management strategy and HRA Business Plan.

·       The Year 2 action plan would be updated where officers had left the organisation.

·       A comparison of the Year 1 action plan versus the Year 2 action plan could be shared with the Panel in due course; officers would need to consider an appropriate format for this.

The Panel requested that:

·       The Head of Housing Services provide a written update on the Council’s intended approach, definitions and timescales in relation to First Homes and affordable homes.

·       The Head of Housing Services provide a written update on current uptake/spend in relation to the HUG2 grant.

·       The Head of Housing Services provide a written update on the implementation of the Panel’s recommendation on the strategy from the previous year: ‘That the Council works with OX Place to consider how it might move towards having a higher percentage of new homes let at social rent level than a simple majority.’

·       The Housing Strategy and Needs Manager provide a written comparison of the Year 1 and Year 2 action plans.

The Panel noted the report; there were no recommendations.