Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

a)  To agree the Minutes of the meeting held on 8 July, 2021

b)  Any matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 8^th July 2021 were agreed as a true record.  There were no matters arising.

Briefing Note of the Head and Housing and Homelessness

The Board considered a briefing note which provided an update on Housing and Homelessness Services.

The Head of Adults introduced the item and indicated that the briefing note covered a range of the housing and homelessness issues and provided an update on progress with various housing and homelessness initiatives, along with key issues resulting from the Covid 19 Pandemic and steps to ensure a supply of homes in the City.

The Housing and Homelessness Strategy (2019-2024) was approved by Council in March 2019 and is the core strategy that drives the service forward, focusing on four key areas:

·  Preventing homelessness and supporting homeless households

·  Support for people and communities

·  Improving existing homes

·  Housing development.

The Service has undergone a significant transformation, with a number of initiatives and projects being worked on with the aim of reducing the financial burden on the Local Authority whilst providing better quality temporary accommodation; increasing the number of households where homelessness is prevented or relieved and therefore decreasing the number of households in temporary accommodation; and increasing the number of properties available to households in exceptional housing need that are either social / affordable rents or at the Local Housing Allowance rates if in the private rented sector.

The briefing note also provided a progress update and next steps for the following:

·  Re-commissioning of Homelessness Support Services

·  Operational Data

·  Implementing Homefinder Allocations Scheme

·  Rough Sleeping Team

·  Rough Sleeper Strategy

·  Reducing cost of expensive Temporary Accommodation

·  Eliminate the use of B&Bs for families

·  Eliminate the use of B&Bs for single people

·  Alternative Temporary Accommodation for families

·  Discharge Homeless Duty into the PRS Policy and Let’s Rent Coventry

·  Temporary Accommodation Charging Policy

·  Temporary Supported Accommodation

·  Housing Advisors Programme

·  Cornerstone Contracts

The Board noted that there had been some significant impacts on Housing and Homelessness as a result of the Covid 19 Pandemic nationally, including an increase in the number of reported anti-social behaviour incidents being reported to Social Landlords; some delays in lower level repairs being completed by landlords; an increase in people seeking alternative housing due their current accommodation being unsuitable; an increase in the number of evictions, particularly in the Private sector following delays during the Pandemic; and positive work with tenants to ensure that arrears levels have remained relatively low, though some Registered Providers have experienced an increase in arrears.

The Head of Housing and Homelessness outlined the work being undertaken with Registered providers and other organisations / landlords in the City to ensure that there is an appropriate level of accommodation build in the City to meet the needs of residents.  Representatives from Citizen were present at the meeting and provided details on the work they are undertaking to provide a new supply of accommodation.  This has included delivering 442 homes in the City over the last 3 years, with a further 92 expected during 2021.  A pilot has also been undertaken in Willenhall with modular buildings and a further pilot is to be undertaken with ‘modern methods of construction’ which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Report of the Director of Law and Governance

The Board considered the Work Programme 2021-22 and requested that a future item be added to the Work Programme on Housing, to include an update on homelessness prevention and work with private sector landlords to get them to rent at below market rates.

The Board further requested that a briefing note be circulated to them on Christmas Waste Collection plans.

There were no other items of public business.