Issue - items at meetings - Home Purchase Policy - progress update

That the Housing Committee:

1)             Notes the outcomes of the Home Purchase Policy to date.

2)             Recommends that Policy and Resources Committee agree an additional HRA capital budget of £3.000m for the scheme for 2019/20.

3)             Recommends to the Constitutional Working Group a review of the financial limits applied to officer scheme of delegations.

4)             Recommends use of the rent support reserve held within the HRA reserves to enable consideration of reduction of rents under the Home Purchase Policy to achieve social rents or 27.5% living wage rents.

1)    The Committee considered a report presented by Diane Hughes updating the Committee on the operation of the Home Purchase Policy following the policy agreement in September 2017 and the feedback on the pilot and revised policy presented in September 2018.

2)    Councillor Mary Mears was informed that the rent support reserve was £1m. The Councillor also considered that the report lacked clarification.

3)    Councillor David Gibson noted that 40 additional homes had been built this year, above numbers reached in previous 4 years. It was noted that the rent reserve of £1m has not been used yet and the right-to-buy receipts need to be used. The Councillor supported the report.

4)    Councillors were informed that delegation as been given to the Constitutional Working Group with no objections at Full Council.

Resolved: That the Housing Committee:

                                I.        Notes the outcomes of the Home Purchase Policy to date.

                               II.       Recommends that Policy and Resources Committee agree an additional HRA capital budget of £3.000m for the scheme for 2019/20.

                             III.       Recommends to the Constitutional Working Group a review of the financial limits applied to officer scheme of delegations.

                            IV.        Recommends use of the rent support reserve held within the HRA reserves to enable consideration of reduction of rents under the Home Purchase Policy to achieve social rents or 27.5% living wage rents.