Decision - Housing Strategy 2009-2014: healthy homes, healthy lives, healthy city
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Decision details
Housing Strategy 2009-2014: healthy homes, healthy lives, healthy city
Decision Maker: Cabinet (pre 2012)
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Purpose:
Approval is sought for the citywide Housing Strategy and also the linked Older People's Housing Strategy and LGBT People's Housing Strategy. Approval is also being sought from the Local Strategic Partnership
Note: This item is being brought forward to the 12.11.09 Cabinet from the 03.12.09 Cabinet at the request of the Director as the December Cabinet is being moved at the request of the Leader.
Note: Title correction – Original title read ‘Housing Strategy 2009-2013: Healthy Homes, Healthy Lives, Healthy city’. This should have read 2009-2014
Decision:
(1) That Cabinet approves the Housing Strategy 2009-2014: healthy homes, healthy lives, healthy city and related sub-strategies, the Older People’s Housing Strategy 2009-2014 and the LGBT People’s Housing Strategy 2009-2014 and Student Housing Strategy 2009-2014.
(2) That Cabinet recognises the extensive good practice and stakeholder engagement demonstrated during the development of these strategies.
(3) That Cabinet agrees that minor changes may be required and made to these strategies during their approval process to ensure they reflect the latest national and local strategic context, with significant changes requiring approval from the Director of Adult Social Care & Housing.
Reasons for the decision:
1. Brighton & Hove is a city with a quarter of a million residents living in 120,000 homes. For many people, Brighton & Hove is an attractive place to live providing a high quality of life.
2. Successful action in the city over the last few years to enable the development of new affordable housing, prevent homelessness, provide support, implement choice based lettings and improve housing quality in the private sector have helped to secure Brighton & Hove City Council as a lead authority, widely respected in working to address the needs of local people and the sub-region.
3. However, pressures from an expanding population, high property prices, pockets of poor quality housing and the effects of the recession are having a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of many residents, particularly amongst the most vulnerable members of our communities.
4. The Housing Strategy is an overarching document that focuses and co-ordinates a number of other housing related strategies enabling us to maintain our momentum as we address the housing needs of the city into the next decade and providing a consistent drive towards our goals.
5. We recognise that the strategy will not be a success if carried out in isolation. It sits at the heart of the city’s 2020 Community Strategy and shows how the Council and its partners are working together to address the region’s housing pressures and also the needs and aspirations of the city. Ultimately, our Housing Strategy is aimed at:
Enabling healthy homes, healthy lives and a healthy city that reduces inequality and offers independence, choice and a high quality of life
Alternative options considered:
1. The Housing Strategy is supported by a detailed needs analysis that considers the wide range of housing issues faced by local people. Our strategic priories and actions have been developed in response to those needs and refined over time through consultation.
2. Strategic Frameworks for the strategies were published at the end of 2007. Following consultation they were revised and draft strategies were published for final consultation at the end of 2008. In addition, the strategies are supported by Equality Impact Assessments that consider the impact on vulnerable groups.
3. When considering our strategic priories there are a vast range of options. The key options are summarised below:
|
Strategic Option |
Status |
|
to do nothing – this would directly impact on all residents with a housing need, resulting in homelessness, repossessions, a decline in the quality of the city’s housing stock and a greater dependence on more acute and costly services provided by social care and health services. This in turn would lead to greater health, social and financial inequality and a much reduced quality of life. |
Option rejected |
|
maintain the status quo – recent years have seen a shift on national and local thinking that places a much greater emphasis on supporting the individual. If we can help people maintain their independence this will improve quality of life and reduce inequality. Our last strategy was developed before this change in strategic direction and is not able to effectively lead stakeholders in addressing this challenge. |
Option rejected |
|
a revised focus on a small number of housing needs – people’s housing and support needs are often complex. Unless we tackle the whole range of key housing issues, many vulnerable people would slip through the net into crisis. This would place an increased burden on acute services across housing, care and health, reduce quality of life and increase inequality. |
Option rejected |
|
a balanced housing strategy - he city has a wide range of complex housing needs, such as a limited supply of affordable housing, pockets of poor quality housing and a large number of people that require support to maintain their independence. If our strategy did not address the whole spectrum of needs, many vulnerable people would not get the support they require. This approach will contribute to addressing housing needs, health inequalities, social and financial exclusion and improve quality of life. |
Option accepted |
Report author: Andy Staniford
Publication date: 12/11/2009
Date of decision: 12/11/2009
Decided at meeting: 12/11/2009 - Cabinet (pre 2012)
Effective from: 20/11/2009
Accompanying Documents:
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