Agenda item
Affordable Housing Delivery Update
- Meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Wednesday, 8th January, 2025 5.30 pm (Item 85.)
- View the background to item 85.
Purpose
This report provides an update on delivery against the corporate priority of delivering more affordable homes across the district, particularly social rented homes. This report sets out key information on the delivery of affordable housing to date and the future plans to intervene in the market in order to boost the supply of social rented accommodation.
Recommendation
That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves to:
1. Agree any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Executive on 15 January 2025.
Minutes:
The purpose of the report was to provide an update on delivery against the corporate priority of delivering more affordable homes across the district, particularly social rented homes. The report sets out key information on the delivery of affordable housing to date and the future plans to intervene in the market in order to boost the supply of social rented accommodation.
Councillor Geoff Saul, the Executive Member for Housing and Social Care Cabinet Member for introduced the item, highlighting the following;
- The Council was forecast to deliver 240 socially rented homes between June 2024 to December 2025.
- 162 units were within pipeline for completion
- Social housing was priced at a substantially reduced rate of generally around 50-60% compared to the average market rate
The Executive Member asked the Housing Delivery Programme Manager to speak on the item. The Housing Delivery Programme Manager provided an overview of the report and explained that the Council was working with a range of registered providers to deliver socially rented accommodation.
Members of the Committee discussed the report, raising the following points of discussion and clarification;
- The affordability of rented properties was discussed, with specific reference being made to Carterton. The Housing Delivery Programme Manager explained that for the purpose of calculating affordability, housing should not make up more than a third of income. With reference to the specific example in Carterton, a detailed written response would be provided.
- Problems with water pressure had caused issues for residents in Carterton who were due to move into new homes on the Miller Homes estate. The officers explained that this was a known issue that Thames Water were dealing with. The Member who raised the issue was asked to put the question in writing so that officers could respond.
- The Woodford Way site was owned by the Council and allocated in the local plan but had not been delivered yet. The Executive Member explained that a number of options had been brought forward and though the project was progressing, it was complex due to issues such as parking.
- Land Value Capture had been used successfully by other authorities. The Executive Member stated the Council could explore this option.
- The situation around affordable housing was recognised as a crisis in the report and it was stated that the target around temporary housing should be amended to reflect this.
Councillor Andrew Beaney proposed that the report be noted and that the Overview and Scrutiny recommend that the Council’s target on an additional 30 bedspaces within the district to clarify that the target is for the current financial target and to emphasise that the Council’s priority is to keep families together and in the district.
Councillor Ruth Smith seconded the proposal.
The Committee voted on the recommendations, which were agreed unanimously.
RESOLVED: That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee:
- Noted the update
- Recommended to the Executive that the Council’s target on providing a minimum of 30 temporary accommodation bed spaces is amended to clarify that the target is for the current financial year and to emphasise that the Council’s priority is to keep families together and in the district
Supporting documents:
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Housing Delivery Report - Executive 15th January 2025, item 85.
PDF 585 KB -
Strategic Overview of Housing Intervention - Annex A, item 85.
PDF 109 KB
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Social Rent Delivery Dashboard - Annex B, item 85.
PDF 87 KB