Agenda item

Sally Meyrick introduced the report on LHMA refresh 2022-2037, delivering a presentation,before answering Members’ questions.She explained that the LHMA provides an estimation of affordable housing need by area and tenure, using Welsh Government guidance and tool. The report is estimating a need for 499 additional affordable homes per year for the first five years, and 90 per year for the remaining 10 years, mainly as social rented accommodation. It estimated a need for 126 market homes per year, 86 as private rent and 41 as owner occupier. The LHMA also identified a range of specialist and supported housing needs for various groups, such as homeless people, older people, people with mental health needs, and children and young people. She advised that the LHMA provided an overview of the housing market in Monmouthshire, which has high property prices and low affordability levels compared to the Welsh average. Members heard that the LHMA is an important evidence base for informing housing strategies, local development plans, social housing grant allocation, and negotiations with developers. 

Key points from members: 

·        Members asked why Usk and Raglan are included in the Chepstow housing market area? Officers explained that the housing market areas are based on statistical travel to work areas from the census data, and that is the guidance from Welsh Government.  

·        Members asked how the cost-of-living crisis has affected the number of homeowners in Monmouthshire and whether it has affected the affordability and availability of housing for different income groups. The Committee heard that there are more people needing rented accommodation than home ownership and that the team used to provide more support to people to access home ownership, but that has decreased significantly.  

·        Members queried the definition and tenure of affordable housing and were advised that affordable housing is housing where there are secure mechanisms to ensure that it is accessible to those who can't afford market housing, and that there are different tenures of affordable housing, such as social rent, intermediate rent, and low-cost home ownership.  

·        The Committee highlighted the inclusion of Usk and Raglan in the Chepstow housing market area, may potentially disadvantage those wards, due to the different needs and affiliations of those areas.  

·        Members questioned the methodology and data sources of the LHMA, officers explaining that they needed to follow Welsh Government guidance and that it involved using various sets of data such as the housing waiting list, homelessness presentations, household projections, and private rent figures.  

·        Members discussed the need for specific and supported housing for various groups, such as homeless people, older people, people with mental health needs, and children and young people, and they were advised that the LHMA had taken this into consideration, as it is based on existing plans and strategies as well as the housing register data.  

Chair’s Summary: 

The report has been scrutinised by the People Scrutiny Committee, members discussing the LHMA methodology, the definition and tenures of affordable housing, the income thresholds and affordability levels, the housing market areas, the census data, and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the number of homeowners in Monmouthshire.  Members queried the data sources, highlighting that the inclusion of Usk and Raglan in the Chepstow housing market area, may be disadvantaging those wards due to the different needs and affiliations of those areas. Members supported the need for specific and supported housing for various groups, such as homeless people, older people, people with mental health needs, and children and young people. The Committee felt that as the county has an ageing population, officers should consider exploring other methods such as the housing register to give a more accurate picture. The Committee asked that officers challenge Welsh Government on the applicability of the statistical travel to work areas census data for determining the housing market areas in Monmouthshire. The recommendations were agreed.