Agenda item

To consider the draft strategy (attached).

Gerry Brough, interim head of development and regeneration, introduced this item. Also present to answer questions were David Buckle, chief executive and Phil Ealey, housing needs manager.  South and Vale Cabinet members also attended to hear the committee’s views.

The committee considered an early draft of the temporary accommodation strategy which set out the ways in which both councils would meet their statutory duties cost effectively and respond to the perceived likely increase in homelessness by providing additional temporary accommodation.

In response to questions and issues raised by the committee, it was reported that:

·         There was an increase in the number of assured shorthold tenancies being ended by landlords as they could charge higher rents on the open market. This was exacerbated by a shortage of private rented accommodation.

·         Although housing benefit was no longer paid directly to landlords, the councils could arrange for payments to be made directly for landlords who were letting through the councils.

·         Oxfordshire County Council was responsible for providing accommodation for young people/looked after children.

·         Rough sleepers could get access to hostels rather than temporary accommodation although this would become increasingly difficult following Oxfordshire County Council budget reductions.

·         The “limit” in the graphs on page 11 of the strategy was an internal target as the councils could not fetter their statutory duties.

·         When someone presented as homeless they would normally be placed in temporary accommodation pending further inquiries, subject to meeting the statutory requirements. Where possible, action would be taken to find private accommodation when someone was at risk of homelessness. If statutory homelessness could not be avoided then the most cost effective temporary accommodation would be sought.

·         The Strategic Options section of the draft strategy required more detail and further options for cost effective ways of providing temporary accommodation.

The committee suggested the following amendments to the draft strategy:

·         The first time that an acronym is used, the full wording should also be included.

·         Page 8, Introduction: a summary of the principles that local authorities need to apply when assessing vulnerability to be included.

·         Page 8, Temporary Accommodation: the numbers and percentages in this paragraph to be checked.

·         Page 9, Private Rented Sector: the graph to include local data.

·         Page 9, Private Rented Sector: the paragraph on the increase in the number of homeless households be rewritten to explain that the reasons include the shortage of affordable accommodation as well as the ending of assured shorthold tenancies.

·         Page 10, Rough Sleepers: the graph to include local data.

·         Page 11, The Local Picture, in both graphs delete “Limit” and insert “Target”.

·         Page 12, Dealing with people accepted as homeless: a summary of the councils’ legal duty to be included.

·         Page 12, Dealing with people accepted as homeless: figures for the number of families in bed and breakfast accommodation to be included.

·         Page 14, Welfare reform: insert “Housing Association” after “Sovereign”.

·         Page 14, Welfare reform: second paragraph to be rewritten to clarify that it is not clear what proportion of the 320 directly affected households may face the possibility of eviction.

·         Page 15, Purchasing a property: second paragraph to be rewritten and detailed calculations to be removed.

·         Page 17, Strategic Objectives: second paragraph to be amended to specify the timescale of the “long term view”.

Officers and Cabinet members thanked the committee for its constructive comments.

RESOLVED: to request the Cabinet members and officers to take the committee’s comments, detailed above, into account and submit a revised version of the draft strategy to a future meeting.