Transcript Slide 1
Tenancy strategies:
can we do better together?
Sue Beecroft
Housing co-ordinator
Cambridge housing sub-region
The Cambridge housing sub-region
One of four growth areas
History of joint working between
planners (since 1974) and
housing officers (CRHB)
LDV set up in 2004 to support
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
Structure Plan evolved into East
of England Plan
And now? Continued support for
good quality growth
www.cambridgeshirehorizons.co.uk/documents/quality_panel/quality_charter_2010.pdf
The Cambridge housing sub-region
Greater Cambridge - Greater
Peterborough Local Enterprise
Partnership
Covers 13 partners
Board up and running
Bidding for Enterprize Zone
Business plan being drafted
Practicalities being agreed
www.yourlocalenterprisepartnership.co.uk
The Cambridge housing sub-region
Seven districts, two counties
To meet the housing challenge,
partners worked together on:
– Housing co-ordinator
– SHMA + research officer
– Home-Link CBL system
– HomeTrack subscription x 7
www.cambridgeshirehorizons.co.uk/shma
Jigsaw pieces
LEP
New Homes
Bonus
Localism
Bill
LIP
Private
rented
Affordable
Rents
HCA
funding
?
RP plans
Other
resources
Supported
housing
Housing priorities
We work to share learning and experience across
our seven districts, to…
– Support economic growth through new homes
– Create balanced, mixed, sustainable communities
– Improve existing homes
– Tackle homelessness and meet housing need
– Secure better health through housing and support
Each has links to tenancy strategy work
Do we have enough in common?
Established working between partners
Political differences
Stock differences
Are there areas we can work together on, such as
–
–
–
–
–
Sharing data
Communications and terminology
Access, choice and equalities
Monitoring outcomes and trends
Agreeing on outputs
Data
Stock and tenure profile
Stock turnover and type
Housing markets
Current rent levels and
affordability
Incomes
Housing needs register: size
needed
Lettings to general needs
and sheltered housing
Length of residence
Moves out of social housing
Effect of welfare reforms
locally
Effect of tenures and
tenancy management
Plans for new homes
Example: rents and allowances
Using SHMA and hometrack
data, average weekly rent for
a 3 bed
Ranges from £100pw…(one
ward only!)
…to more than £300pw
Mid range values £150 to
£199 (60% of our wards)
Impact at the extremes,
gives evidence to support
“affordable rents” may only
be affordable if <80% of
private rent levels
Example: rents and allowances
This map shows the local
housing allowance (LHA)
based on 3-bed median
http://atlas.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/Housing/LHA/atlas.html
Communication: we want to…
Minimise confusion
Make housing options clear through Homelink both at start
and end of fixed term tenancies
Clarify housing choices without reducing involvement,
understanding and participation. Includes affordability issues
Support and maintain strong links with housing providers
Example: Language
Lifetime
Fixed term
Secure
Assured
Assured shorthold
Temporary
Flexible
Affordable
Social
Sheltered
Supported
Intermediate
Introductory
Probationary
Example: Language
Lifetime
Fixed term
Secure
Assured
Assured shorthold
Temporary
Flexible
Affordable
Social
Sheltered
Supported
Intermediate
Introductory
Probationary
Need to monitor
Levels and bands of housing need
Homelessness and repeat homelessness
Rent levels for new and existing homes
Void times, especially following end of a flexible tenancy
Where and how fixed terms are used
Who gets which product – is access equitable?
www.cambridgeshirehorizons.co.uk/shma
And trends…
Numbers of new homes built, tenures and terms
Overall effects on housing needs and housing market, the
“balance”
Effect on development activity – all homes and affordable
Effect on site viability
Outcome of term-end reviews overall
Effect on community and family stability
Possible outputs…
To save each district and partner making individual effort,
we could
Devise an “umbrella” strategy: agreed principles with district
detail and possibly partner’s links nested within
Include tenancy issues within a new sub-regional housing
strategy
Monitor investment and outcomes in our LIPs
Monitor the effect on markets via data analysis in SHMA
provided we identify the indicators needed
Need to remember public scrutiny – so need accessible
information
Timeline
Autumn 2010
Affordable Rent and flexible tenancies invented
May 2011
June 2011+
Bids submitted to HCA for next 4 years programme
including conversions and disposals
PPS3 amended so AR defined as affordable for
planning purposes
Providers working on Tenancy Policies
Late 2011?
Expect Localism Bill to be passed
+ 12 months
Authorities to publish tenancy strategies
June 2011
In summary…
Customer is central
What effect on our housing
market?
Working together is more
essential than ever
For all partners we want
co-ordination…
…not fragmentation
…if we are to tackle tenancies together