Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To request the Executive to approve the draft Housing Strategy 2020-25.

Decision

That the draft Housing Strategy 2020-25 be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

A local authority housing strategy was an overarching cross-tenure document which identified local housing needs and set out how these needs would be met. Housing need was used in its broadest sense, it was not just the need for new affordable housing, but for all things housing including: growth; regeneration; and neighbourhood renewal, to ensure that a local authority had a balanced and sustainable housing market that met the needs of its residents.

The review of the Housing Strategy was initiated in July 2019 with the delivery of Member workshops which sought to provide an update on the emerging housing needs evidence, Lincoln’s current housing market, housing stock condition and the opportunities for delivering new homes. This resulted in the Council undertaking further housing needs research. A follow up Members’ workshop took place in January 2020 where officers discussed the following themes in more detail to inform the Housing Strategy’s priorities over the next five years:

·         Maximising the supply of affordable housing;

·         Maximising our existing housing assets;

·         Estate improvement and resident involvement;

·         Allocating council housing to those in greatest need; and

·         Enabling sustainable tenancies.

The feedback from the workshop held in January 2020 had shaped the content of the draft Housing Strategy, which also considered empirical information, the existing local policy context, the emerging response to Covid-19 and the current recession.

To complement Vision 2025, Let’s deliver quality housing, the objectives of the Housing Strategy for 2020-25 were:

·         Providing housing which meets the varied needs of our residents;

·         Building Sustainable Communities; and

·         Improving Housing standards for all.

The Draft Housing Strategy had been the subject of member and public consultation. In response to specific consultation feedback, the draft Housing Strategy had been amended accordingly:

The Housing Strategy would be monitored on a quarterly basis and would be subject to an annual review to ensure future progress in delivering priorities and allow the Strategy to reflect the changing policy agenda and to respond to meeting housing need.

Councillor Donald Nannestad reported that there had been large elected member involvement in the development of this Strategy, as well as effective engagement with the Tenants’ Panel as well. The next stage would be to review the thirty year business plan. Councillor Nannestad placed on record his thanks to the team of officers involved in developing the document.