Agenda item

Context:

To scrutinise a request by Monmouthshire Housing Association to extend a Local Lettings Policy that relates to social housing stock in Mardy, Abergavenny.

Key Issues:

The Council has a statutory responsibility to identify housing need and to lead on actions to respond to this need.  In this regard, the Council’s Housing Register and Common Allocation Policy is a legal responsibility and is delivered by Monmouthshire Housing Association through the Homesearch Partnership, made up of the Council and local housing associations.

The Council’s responsibility is to have an allocation scheme for determining ‘priorities’.  With regard to priorities, the scheme needs to ensure that ‘reasonable preference’ is given to certain categories of applicants, such as people who are homeless or need to move for medical reasons.  However, there is scope to allocate accommodation to people of a particular description, whether or not they fall within the ‘reasonable preference’ categories and to certain types of property or those within an area, provided that overall compliance with the ‘reasonable preference’ requirements. 

Under this provision, a Local Lettings Policy was established in 2015 in respect of four streets in the Mardy, Abergavenny – St Andrew’s Crescent, St George’s Crescent, Llwynu Lane and St David’s Road. 

The aim of the policy was to tackle anti-social behaviour, low demand and failed tenancies resulting in a high turnover of properties and increasing void periods. The policy gives priority to applicants in full time employment or 50+ with a view to developing a balanced and sustainable community to tackle the said issues.

The following provides a summary overview of the impact of the policy:

·         The demographic and socio-economic profile of the area has changed.

·         A reduction in voids.

·         Reduced applications from existing residents wishing to leave the area.

·         The average number of bids on vacant properties has improved, although remains well below average for comparable general needs stock.

·         Whilst turnover has reduced and refusal rates are low, there was an increase in reported anti-social behaviour reported in the area in 2016/17 but this reduced in 2017/18.

The results of the policy are positive, but Monmouthshire Housing Association considers that there are further benefits to be achieved by extending the policy for a further two years.  An implication of the policy, however, is that the policy effectively temporarily marginally reduces the ‘wider pool’ of accommodation available for those applicants in the greatest housing need, including homeless applicants.  The majority of homeless applicants are not in employment and typically are under 50 years of age.

Options Appraisal:

The following options are available:

·           Option 1 – not approve and bring the local letting policy to an end.

·           Option 2 - approve for an extension of one year.

·           Option 3 – approve for an extension of two years.

Member Scrutiny:

·         The local Member for Mardy welcomes the report and supported option 3 to approve an extension of the letting policy for a further two years.

·         The Member for Lansdown supports an extension of the letting policy for a further two years.

·         In response to a question raised, it was noted that nobody is moved out to make way for people coming in to the area.  Due to the naturally high churn rate that Monmouthshire Housing Association (MHA) had, MHA now applies the criteria to new people coming into the area.  MHA has a very low eviction rate.

·         In response to a request that the Local Lettings Policy (LLP) be extended into Lansdown ward, it was noted that MHA is working within a statutory context.  The Housing register is about meeting statutory duty in terms of the allocation of social housing and monitoring housing need. There are certain categories of need that has to be responded to. The legislation does allow for LLPs, which have to be temporary. Therefore, there is scope to do more but the social housing needs still need to be met.

·         MHA does not have any issues regarding letting a void property as Monmouthshire has very few hard to let properties compared with other valley areas.  Monmouthshire has fewer people waiting for these properties. People with more complex needs can be concentrated in that area as these properties become available more often and fewer people are competing for these properties.

·         Private sector rents are rising, creating more pressure on the housing market.  Monmouthshire has a programme to build more properties with a view to alleviating this pressure.

·         LLPs are time limited and are neighbourhood specific and can be established on new developments as well as existing neighbourhoods.  LLPs will be used by multiple authorities across Wales.

·         There is an increased number of working families coming into the area because of the priority. The age demographic is therefore falling.  There will also be concentrations of older people living in the area.

·         There has been considerable investment in environmental and Welsh housing quality standard works in the area. Partnership working has been undertaken to ensure the success of the LLP.

·         In terms of the anti-social behaviour figures, only 154 properties are included in the LLP.  Anti-social behaviour has been moving around this area and is currently higher in one area compared to others. The LLP was started with the four streets and the preference would be to continue with the four.

·         The policy of the Council is to re-house those in greatest need.  The Authority has very supportive partners which works well.