Agenda item

To submit a report by the Head of Housing Services.

The report of the Head of Housing Services incorporating an Interim Housing Strategy 2021 was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

The report was introduced by Councillor Alun Mummery, Portfolio Member for Housing and Community Support who explained that the intention in presenting the Interim Housing Strategy is to put in place a strategic document that recognises the changes faced during the year, by prioritising what needs to happen during next year and providing information on how Housing Services and its partners are responding and continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. It provides a bridge to the development of the Housing Strategy which will include the requirements of the Housing Support Grant and Welsh Government’s Homelessness Strategy by 2022. The priorities of the current Strategy have been used for the Interim Strategy which will inform the Service’s priorities for 2022-2027 and these are set out in the report.

Referring to consultation and the Communication Plan, the Portfolio Member said that the Interim Strategy document was placed on the Council’s website for consultation with the Service’s main partners. The consultation period remained open for 3 weeks from the 27 November, 2020 to the 18 December, 2020. The consultation response (detailed in Appendix 1) demonstrates support for the Interim Housing Strategy 2021 and will form the basis for the development of the 5 year Housing Strategy from 2022 to 2027 the intention being to issue an initial draft by April, 2021 with the final draft for public consultation being available online from June to August, 2021. The proposed engagement/consultation schedule will see the final draft being presented to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee in September, 2021 and thereafter to the Executive for approval in October, 2021.

The Portfolio Member in providing a foretaste of the Housing Service’s objectives cited 93 housing units expected to be completed by the Service’s Housing Association partners in 2021/22 compared to 23 units in 2019/20 and 49 units in 2020/21, 38 council housing units having commenced on site in 2020/21 with a further 40 units expected to commence by 2021/22. In addition, it is anticipated that up to 75 empty homes will have been brought back into use in 2020/21 and a minimum of 50 such properties in 2021/22. Significant activity was also undertaken under the previous Housing Strategy in effect form 2014 which saw the provision of 53 new housing units between 2015 and 2020  as well as the purchase of an additional 65 units. During this period also, Hafan Cefni a 63 flat extra care complex was completed and Llawr y Dref in Llangefni was remodelled to provide a more modern way of living.

In concluding his presentation of the report the Portfolio Member highlighted its positive aspect in terms of the vision for the future which it portrayed; he expressed his gratitude to the Housing Service’s staff for their hard work and commitment during the past 10 months in facing the challenges that had arisen during this time especially in relation to homelessness and in adapting aims and objectives to embrace the emerging issues.

The Head of Housing Services confirmed that the Housing Service has a statutory responsibility to assess housing need and lead on partnership working to secure housing of quality which meets the needs of its citizens now and in the future and that the Strategy shows how this will be delivered in the interim period and beyond.

Individual members of the Executive spoke to thank the Housing Service for its response to the pandemic and also for being a progressive service in terms of its vision for the Council’s housing stock and its work on maintaining, investing in and adding to that stock especially and where possible, in more rural areas recognising that the availability of social housing in rural communities is important to their long-term sustainability. Members of the Executive were also appreciative of the work of the Service with empty properties - which can be a blight on communities - in returning those properties into positive use thereby improving communities and helping to meet housing needs.

The Chair echoed those thanks observing that the six themes that will inform the priorities of the longer term 5 year Strategy also feed into the Council’s Corporate Plan. Whilst the management of the Councils’ housing stock should be a matter of pride to the Housing Service it is also a reflection of partnership working with the Service working alongside social housing bodies and the Island’s communities to deliver on its housing commitments.

It was resolved to approve the following –

·        The Interim Housing Strategy 2021

·        The communication plan for developing the Housing Strategy 2022-27 and work plan with partners, which leads to a consultation period and final approval.