Minutes:
Keeley Johnson, Tenancy Services Manager gave a verbal update on Tenancy Sustainment and raised the following main points:
· Tenancy Sustainment was a key priority for the authority.
· With the continued changes to the welfare system it was important to help tenants sustain their tenancy.
· The Council had an eviction protocol which meant that eviction was only used as a very last resort.
· New tenants would be visited within the first week of moving into a property. This would provide an opportunity to welcome the tenant and provide advice on sustaining their tenancy.
· A vulnerability survey would take place at the beginning of the tenancy.
· Officers were looking at resources to see if they could be allocated to set up a separate Tenancy Sustainment Team.
· The Tenancy Sustainment Team would specialise in providing advice on benefits etc and assist people with sustaining their tenancy.
The committee discussed the verbal update and raised the following main points:
Comment: The new systems were working as the Housing Appeal Panel were being held much less often than previously.
Response: Issues were being addressed before they reached a point where they needed to go to a Housing Appeals Panel.
Question: Why was helping people to downsize not a priority?
Response: It was a priority, Officers tried to approach this in a holistic way which included visiting tenants and explaining the benefits of moving, however, people could not be made to move if they did not want to.
Question: What support was available for people who wanted to downsize?
Response: Housing Officers, Allocations and Welfare Officers could all provide advice and support to those tenants who wanted to downsize.
Question: Would tenants still be charged spare room subsidy if they proved that they were actively trying to move house?
Response: It was clear in legislation that there would be a reduction in Housing Benefit if there was one or more spare room. Tenants could make an application for Discretionary Housing Payments.
Question: When were prospective tenants taken through the tenancy agreement?
Response: Currently they received a copy of the Tenancy Agreement when they signed up. However this was not ideal and was being changed so that they received a copy of the Tenancy Agreement when they were allocated a property. They would then have time to read it between allocation and sign up.
Question: How many Housing Assistant posts were there?
Response: There were 3 posts.
Question: Could more visits take place?
Response: Housing Officers were regularly out on the Estates, however, tenants had the right to peaceful enjoyment of their homes.
The Strategic Director of Housing and Investment explained that there was currently a lot of work being undertaken to help tenants sustain their tenancies. Officers were considering setting up workshops for new tenants to provide support and to signpost tenants to access services. The aim was to provide every opportunity to assist tenants.
The Tenancy Services Manager added that nationally there had been large cuts to the advice and support sector. The Council wanted to be approachable, empathetic and to help tenants keep their tenancies.
The Chair commented that it was important to measure how well the Authority was achieving in this area and suggested that some Performance Indicators be included in next year’s targets.
RESOLVED that the verbal update be noted.