5. Policy Priorities

5.1

This policy is based on local needs and priorities and addresses issues and problems that have been identified by relevant surveys, stakeholder consultation and other sources of information. The policy will be reviewed annually and amended to meet any changing needs and a priority identified locally, but crucially reflects these identified key issues.

5.2  Key Issues

• An ageing population, which will become more dependent upon local services, including housing services, in the future.
• Low income levels, rising house prices and the lack of affordable housing, making it difficult for local people to buy their own home and young an older people to maintain substandard properties.
• The lack of affordable housing resulting in many people having little option than to occupy sub-standard rented accommodation.
• Unfitness in the urban and rural areas, particularly properties occupied by persons aged over 65 years who are unable to afford to repair their properties and access services.
• A high level of unfitness, in pre 1919 properties.
• A high level of borderline unfitness in pre 1964 properties.
• A lack of general maintenance of properties.
• Fuel poverty, particularly amongst the elderly and low-income households who tend to occupy the worst housing.
• Long-term empty properties, which represent a wasted resource.
• Clear links between poor health and substandard housing.
• Crime and disorder and fear of crime

5.3  Addressing the Key issues

Within the Housing Strategy the aims and objectives for private sector renewal will be to ensure the maintenance, repair, improvement and energy efficiency of private sector housing stock for the health, safety and well being of the residents of the Borough. This will be achieved through a variety of measures including:

• The provision of a comprehensive professional and technical private sector Housing Advice Service.
• The provision of assistance to enable the improvement, repair or adaptation of houses.
• The development and implementation of energy efficiency initiatives.
• The enforcement of current housing standards
• The improvement of Houses in Multiple Occupation
• Supporting Shropshire Care and Repair Home Improvement Agency.
• The identification of initiatives to bring empty properties back into use.
• Working in partnership with landlords to improve standards in the private rented sector.

5.4  Client Based

The provision of assistance may be driven by the needs of a particular client group, for example, as part of the Supporting people Strategy, a Fuel Poverty Strategy, or local priorities for Health and Social Care Strategies. In this context, client-based strategies will focus on older people, vulnerable groups, and disabled people.

5.5  Area Based

The provision of assistance may be targeted at several areas where there are serious or prevalent problems of rundown or substandard private sector housing. Any such assistance will be linked to broadly-based neighbourhood renewal schemes designed to address all the factors leading to social exclusion, including high levels of crime, poor quality education and health care, and access to local amenities.

There is the opportunity to target and co-ordinate-housing improvement within specific areas or wards, which are identified annually as going into decline or experiencing problems, such as those identified by the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

5.6  Property Based

Assistance may be targeted towards empty homes, and vacant accommodation over shops to meet identified housing needs in an area.

5.7  Sector Based

The role of the private rented sector in meeting housing need is recognised as significant through all types of accommodation. Assistance will be given to landlords or other partners to increase the supply of good quality housing. It is felt at present, that in this current housing market private landlords should be in a position to financially maintain their rented stock in a fit and habitable condition free from disrepair.

The key priority of increasing new affordable and social rented properties in urban and particularly rural areas is being actively encouraged through our partner R.S.L’s.

5.8  Priorities Based on Themes

In partnership with other agencies the Council will identify themes to which assistance will be targeted. Examples include:

• fuel poverty and energy efficiency work
• security or crime prevention initiatives
• maintenance initiatives to encourage sustainability and to protect previous investment
• hospital discharge schemes
• home accident prevention or health and safety initiatives
• specific problems such as the presence of asbestos, radon and lead.

IT IS INEVITABLE THAT PRIORITIES WILL COMPETE FOR THE LIMITED RESOURCES AVAILABLE.

5.9  Actions to achieve objectives

The following actions will be undertaken to deliver these objectives:

i)
Address the level of unfit housing in the district by,

• Responding to complaints from tenants of unfit/substandard housing within agreed timescales and taking enforcement action as appropriate.
• Responding speedily to referrals from the Health Authority, Social Services, etc., about poor housing conditions.

ii)
Educate homeowners to take responsibility for the upkeep of their homes but intervene when owners are unable to take action themselves by,

• Developing information on home maintenance for homeowners on request or visited during the course of routine inspections
• Taking action when owners are at risk and unable to carry out repairs or improvements

iii)
Ensure that landlords maintain privately rented housing, including houses in multiple occupation, in reasonable repair and condition, by

• Where appropriate, providing grant assistance to help improve their properties
• Taking enforcement action following receipt of complaints from tenants, in accordance with the Enforcement Concordat
• Developing improved advice and information about home maintenance
• Working through the regular landlord’s forum.

iv)
Provide assistance, through housing renewal grants for homeowners least able to afford the upkeep of their properties and to stimulate investment from other sources for the repair, improvement or provision of private sector housing, by

• Developing other sources of financial assistance
• Supporting Shropshire Care and Repair

v)
Review the private sector housing renewal policy at appropriate intervals, following stakeholder consultation.

vi)
Target assistance to the more vulnerable members of the community through housing renewal grants and close liaison with other agencies, by;

• Approving targeted Major Works Grants.
• Approving Minor Works Grants for repairs to enable elderly people to stay in their homes to facilitate hospital discharge and for home security measures/energy efficiency measure
• Encouraging applicants for Disabled Facilities Grants to use the services of SCAR.
• Offering grants to "new households" to help renovate ‘low’ cost properties

vii)
Facilitate and assist, where appropriate, the reuse of long-term empty property, by

• Revising our empty property strategy
• Encouraging landlords to provide new dwellings by conversion of large or underused properties
• Use of compulsory purchase powers

1. Improve energy efficiency, by

• Implementing HECA Action projects
• Promoting the Energy Savings Trust and the Government’s Warm Front grants and providing top up funding to applicants where necessary.
• Working with our partners through the local energy efficiency advice centres
• Incorporating energy efficiency works in other forms of assistance that are provided.

viii)
Facilitate affordable housing by:

• Working with our partner R.S.L’s and the Housing Corporation to finance schemes for Affordable and Social rented housing through procurement and sale of land and other means.