Housing Strategy Consultation - priorities

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The Strategic Priorities

The Housing Strategy is a partnership document providing a shared vision and clear focus and direction. Housing data has been used to inform the development process which has included a series of workshops with local partners and public engagement. The priorities have been shared with partners and feedback has been incorporated into the strategy.

There are three strategic priorities:

1. Support that enables residents to access the right home and live well

2. Homes that are fit for now and ready for the future

3. Affordable homes of all tenures across the borough

Each priority will be considered in further detail setting out what we want to achieve and how we will make a difference. However, it does not contain a detailed delivery plan of the how this will be achieved. Detailed action plans are contained in the individual subject specific housing plans such as the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and Empty Homes Strategy. Key documents providing the additional detail are listed under each priority.

Priority One: Support that enables residents to access the right home and live well.

This priority is about making sure we have the right support to prevent homelessness, enable people to access accommodation, maintain it and live well. We need the right support, at the right time and in the right place. Partnerships are essential to achieving this priority and working together with health, and care and support services. This priority is also about keeping people safe and well in their homes. The homes we build should encourage good health through connections to leisure and employment opportunities. We will also ensure that we have the specialist support for people experiencing homelessness and domestic abuse.

Supporting plans and strategies

The detail of how we will deliver against our priorities is contained in the following key policies and strategies:

  • Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy
  • Allocation Policy for Social Housing
  • Children in Care and Care Leavers Accommodation Strategy
  • Domestic Abuse Strategy
  • Adult Social Care Strategy
  • Place Plan

How we will make a difference

  • Supporting households to help them prevent their homelessness.

We will work with households who are at risk of becoming homeless to try and put in place the right help to keep them in their homes and prevent them from becoming homeless. This might include advice, support or referrals to other organisations who can help. We will develop new prevention tools including support for landlords and tenants to prevent evictions from the private rented sector.

  • End rough sleeping.

We will endeavour to end rough sleeping in the borough through our partnership working. We will provide rough sleepers and those with complex needs with the right accommodation, support, and advocacy to build their resilience and sustain independent living. For our most entrenched rough sleepers with complex support needs we will provide a multi-agency, person-centred, trauma-informed approach.

  • Ensuring that homeless households have access to suitable temporary and supported accommodation options.

Supported accommodation works to bridge the gap to support people to become tenancy ready. We will invest in more supported housing units across the borough and ensure that people that require supported housing are equipped with the skills to move on into their own independent homes when the time is right for them. By increasing the number of temporary and supported accommodation units in the borough we will reduce the number of households who require emergency placements in hotels, which can have a negative impact on mental and physical health.

  • Supporting people to stay safe in their own home.

Everyone has the right to a home that is safe. We will continue to deliver services to tackle domestic abuse, supporting survivors and families. This includes ensuring that people who are experiencing domestic abuse are either offered the right help to stay safe at home or alternative accommodation as needed.

  • Supporting people to live well in their own home.

We recognise that home is important to people’s wellbeing, and we want to reduce the inequalities in the health outcomes people of all ages experience and make sure that the homes encourage and support good health outcomes. As a Marmot region we recognise the impact that social inequality has on health and have committed to work across the public, private and third sector across Cheshire and Merseyside to tackle these inequalities and their impact. This includes the development, continued delivery and promotion of services which support people who wish to be independent for longer and empower people to live in the place they call home.

  • Developing specialist housing for older people, children, and those with care needs.

We will work to ensure there is a range of housing options with care and support available to meet the specialist needs of residents. This includes a review of our current accommodation options with a view to investing in new local residential care and housing opportunities.

  • Providing support, and a welcoming place of safety for refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

We will show care and compassion, whilst continuing to support people fleeing violence and persecution in their own countries. Cheshire West and Chester is working to become a Council of Sanctuary. Everyone should feel welcome in our borough, and we will work with national government to ensure we have the right homes for refugees and others seeking sanctuary. We will continue to work with the Government’s chosen housing provider for asylum seekers to ensure an equitable spread of dispersal accommodation across the Borough.

Priority Two: Homes that are fit for now and ready for the future.

This priority is about ensuring that homes in our borough are good quality and can provide a safe, healthy home. Homes that are well maintained and free from damp, mould and other hazards are essential to improve the health of our residents. We need homes and neighbourhoods that support independence, health, and wellbeing and can be adapted as and when required. Neighbourhoods with quality green spaces, good transport links and access to work and education are all important to go health. We also want energy efficient homes and homes that can stand up to our changing environment.

Supporting plans and strategies

The detail of how we will deliver against our priorities is contained in the following key policies and strategies:

  • Enforcement Policy
  • Housing Assistance Policy
  • Council Housing - Asset Management Strategy, Tenant Engagement Strategy, Together with Tenants’ Charter
  • Fuel Poverty Strategy
  • Climate Emergency Response Plan

How we will make a difference

  • Addressing all serious disrepair issues including damp and mould.

Damp, mould, and other disrepair issues can have a negative impact on our residents. We have a statutory duty to ensure that all cases of serious disrepair issues in rented accommodation are addressed. This may involve both informal and formal enforcement action. We will also provide signposting and support to homeowners enabling them to make improvements to living conditions and remain in occupation.

  • Improving housing standards and the quality of existing homes across different tenures.

Working with partners we want to ensure that all homes in our borough are of a good quality, safe and well maintained. Working with social and private landlords we will improve the housing stock by providing advice and assistance and sharing good practice at the Landlord’s Forum and through our housing partnerships. We will promote advice and support to tenants and homeowners to improve their housing conditions.

  • Adapting homes to meet existing needs and building more adapted homes for the future.

Good quality adaptations can help people stay comfortably in their own homes as well as reducing their need for care. As well as adapting existing homes we want to work with partners to build more adapted homes on new developments.

  • Recording and allocating adapted housing, to make best use of existing stock.

As well as building new adapted homes it’s important that we make the best use of existing adapted homes. Working with partners and colleagues we want to understand what adapted homes we have and to ensure that they are matched to people who need the adaptations. This will help use to avoid waste as well as supporting people who need adaptations to move into a home that is right for them.

  • Making existing homes more energy efficient and building new energy efficient homes.

Energy efficient homes mean lower energy bills for residents as well as lower carbon emissions. Energy efficient homes mean lower energy bills for residents as well as lower carbon emissions. For the homes that the council owns, we will apply for funding as well as allocating money from our budget to bring properties up to EPC C. Over the longer-term and where possible, we will work within our budget envelope and actively pursue funding that allows us to deliver net zero within our housing stock.

We will work with private landlords and homeowners through grants and advice to improve energy efficiency. We will also support all our residents to reduce their energy use through various schemes offering personalised advice. We will work with developers and other partners to bring forward new and innovative low carbon housing schemes.

  • Keeping our promises to our tenants.

Cheshire West and Chester Council owns approximately 5,500 council homes. We will work with tenants to ensure their homes are safe, decent, well managed and maintained. We will invest in our housing stock to achieve this, and work with tenants to deliver the Together with Tenants Charter commitments putting tenants at the heart of decision making. Our Council Housing Management Board, an advisory body to the Councils Executive Cabinet and consisting of councillors, tenants and independent members, will oversee our work and provide the challenge needed to deliver continuous service improvements whilst also ensuring that we meet the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housings new consumer standards.

Priority Three: Affordable homes of all tenures across the borough

This priority is about making sure we have the right mix of homes in our borough to meet the needs of our residents now and in the future. It is important that everyone who lives in our borough can find a permanent home that they can afford whether they are looking to rent or buy. We need more affordable homes to meet the needs of local residents and address homelessness. The council will work with partners to identify and bring forward new sites for development and to ensure that we have good quality homes for our residents. We understand the importance of housing in developing strong communities and supporting economic growth. We want to see the regeneration of town centres and the development of new housing in areas that can support growth.

Supporting plans and strategies

The detail of how we will deliver against our priorities is contained in the following key policies and strategies:

  • Homelessness and Rough Sleeping strategy
  • Empty Homes Strategy
  • Local Plan
  • Rural Regeneration and Growth Strategy
  • Allocations Policy for Social Housing
  • Tenancy Strategy

How we will make a difference

  • Helping households who have experienced homelessness to find their long-term home.

Being homeless can have a long-term impact on individual and households mental and physical health. We want to help households affected by homelessness to find a home that they can afford and give them the skills to ensure they can maintain their housing in the long term.

  • Providing a range of accommodation options to meet the diverse needs of residents.

Our borough has a diverse range of residents, and we will strive to have suitable housing and accommodation options to meet their needs. This means working with communities and partners to understand the needs of all our different communities and working together to deliver the range of homes needed. We will also continue to support Gypsies and Travellers and ensure effective and proportionate management of encampments.

  • Increasing supply and access to the private rented sector.

We know more people are living in privately rented homes. We want to help people to access the private rental sector. We need to work with private landlords to develop incentives and support to increase the supply of affordable homes for residents with a housing need. We see private landlords as partners in providing homes and want to work with them to increase the number of good quality, affordable private sector homes.

  • Repurposing and bringing back into use empty homes.

Empty homes are a wasted resource and can have a negative impact on the community. They can attract anti social behaviour and impact the neighbourhood around them. We want to bring them back into use again with a specialist empty homes team that uses a range of tools including grants, incentives, and the use of compulsory purchase orders.

  • Ensure social housing is allocated fairly to those in greatest need.

We will implement the West Cheshire Homes Common Allocation Policy to ensure that social housing is allocated fairly and objectively to those in the greatest housing need. We will monitor and review the policy. It is also important that the application process, the availability, and allocation of homes is transparent so households can make informed choices about where they want to live.

  • Increasing social housing across the borough to allow more households to rent social homes.

For some households in our borough a social home is the best option for them. We know there is a lack of social housing, and our housing list continues to grow. We need to work with registered housing providers to increase the number of social homes as well as making best use of any grants or funding available to either purchase or build new social housing. Although there is high demand for all social housing property types the need is most acute for one-bedroom properties so we will ensure there is housing need data informing future developments.

  • Increasing the number of affordable homes.

Working with developers, registered housing providers and communities we want to build homes that meet what we know our borough needs. A range of affordable options are important including Rent to Buy, shared ownership and discount market sale homes. We will work with community groups and other partners where there is an interest in developing new or innovative local housing to build capacity and investigate ways of delivering the homes that a community needs.

The Strategic Priorities

The Housing Strategy is a partnership document providing a shared vision and clear focus and direction. Housing data has been used to inform the development process which has included a series of workshops with local partners and public engagement. The priorities have been shared with partners and feedback has been incorporated into the strategy.

There are three strategic priorities:

1. Support that enables residents to access the right home and live well

2. Homes that are fit for now and ready for the future

3. Affordable homes of all tenures across the borough

Each priority will be considered in further detail setting out what we want to achieve and how we will make a difference. However, it does not contain a detailed delivery plan of the how this will be achieved. Detailed action plans are contained in the individual subject specific housing plans such as the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and Empty Homes Strategy. Key documents providing the additional detail are listed under each priority.

Priority One: Support that enables residents to access the right home and live well.

This priority is about making sure we have the right support to prevent homelessness, enable people to access accommodation, maintain it and live well. We need the right support, at the right time and in the right place. Partnerships are essential to achieving this priority and working together with health, and care and support services. This priority is also about keeping people safe and well in their homes. The homes we build should encourage good health through connections to leisure and employment opportunities. We will also ensure that we have the specialist support for people experiencing homelessness and domestic abuse.

Supporting plans and strategies

The detail of how we will deliver against our priorities is contained in the following key policies and strategies:

  • Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy
  • Allocation Policy for Social Housing
  • Children in Care and Care Leavers Accommodation Strategy
  • Domestic Abuse Strategy
  • Adult Social Care Strategy
  • Place Plan

How we will make a difference

  • Supporting households to help them prevent their homelessness.

We will work with households who are at risk of becoming homeless to try and put in place the right help to keep them in their homes and prevent them from becoming homeless. This might include advice, support or referrals to other organisations who can help. We will develop new prevention tools including support for landlords and tenants to prevent evictions from the private rented sector.

  • End rough sleeping.

We will endeavour to end rough sleeping in the borough through our partnership working. We will provide rough sleepers and those with complex needs with the right accommodation, support, and advocacy to build their resilience and sustain independent living. For our most entrenched rough sleepers with complex support needs we will provide a multi-agency, person-centred, trauma-informed approach.

  • Ensuring that homeless households have access to suitable temporary and supported accommodation options.

Supported accommodation works to bridge the gap to support people to become tenancy ready. We will invest in more supported housing units across the borough and ensure that people that require supported housing are equipped with the skills to move on into their own independent homes when the time is right for them. By increasing the number of temporary and supported accommodation units in the borough we will reduce the number of households who require emergency placements in hotels, which can have a negative impact on mental and physical health.

  • Supporting people to stay safe in their own home.

Everyone has the right to a home that is safe. We will continue to deliver services to tackle domestic abuse, supporting survivors and families. This includes ensuring that people who are experiencing domestic abuse are either offered the right help to stay safe at home or alternative accommodation as needed.

  • Supporting people to live well in their own home.

We recognise that home is important to people’s wellbeing, and we want to reduce the inequalities in the health outcomes people of all ages experience and make sure that the homes encourage and support good health outcomes. As a Marmot region we recognise the impact that social inequality has on health and have committed to work across the public, private and third sector across Cheshire and Merseyside to tackle these inequalities and their impact. This includes the development, continued delivery and promotion of services which support people who wish to be independent for longer and empower people to live in the place they call home.

  • Developing specialist housing for older people, children, and those with care needs.

We will work to ensure there is a range of housing options with care and support available to meet the specialist needs of residents. This includes a review of our current accommodation options with a view to investing in new local residential care and housing opportunities.

  • Providing support, and a welcoming place of safety for refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

We will show care and compassion, whilst continuing to support people fleeing violence and persecution in their own countries. Cheshire West and Chester is working to become a Council of Sanctuary. Everyone should feel welcome in our borough, and we will work with national government to ensure we have the right homes for refugees and others seeking sanctuary. We will continue to work with the Government’s chosen housing provider for asylum seekers to ensure an equitable spread of dispersal accommodation across the Borough.

Priority Two: Homes that are fit for now and ready for the future.

This priority is about ensuring that homes in our borough are good quality and can provide a safe, healthy home. Homes that are well maintained and free from damp, mould and other hazards are essential to improve the health of our residents. We need homes and neighbourhoods that support independence, health, and wellbeing and can be adapted as and when required. Neighbourhoods with quality green spaces, good transport links and access to work and education are all important to go health. We also want energy efficient homes and homes that can stand up to our changing environment.

Supporting plans and strategies

The detail of how we will deliver against our priorities is contained in the following key policies and strategies:

  • Enforcement Policy
  • Housing Assistance Policy
  • Council Housing - Asset Management Strategy, Tenant Engagement Strategy, Together with Tenants’ Charter
  • Fuel Poverty Strategy
  • Climate Emergency Response Plan

How we will make a difference

  • Addressing all serious disrepair issues including damp and mould.

Damp, mould, and other disrepair issues can have a negative impact on our residents. We have a statutory duty to ensure that all cases of serious disrepair issues in rented accommodation are addressed. This may involve both informal and formal enforcement action. We will also provide signposting and support to homeowners enabling them to make improvements to living conditions and remain in occupation.

  • Improving housing standards and the quality of existing homes across different tenures.

Working with partners we want to ensure that all homes in our borough are of a good quality, safe and well maintained. Working with social and private landlords we will improve the housing stock by providing advice and assistance and sharing good practice at the Landlord’s Forum and through our housing partnerships. We will promote advice and support to tenants and homeowners to improve their housing conditions.

  • Adapting homes to meet existing needs and building more adapted homes for the future.

Good quality adaptations can help people stay comfortably in their own homes as well as reducing their need for care. As well as adapting existing homes we want to work with partners to build more adapted homes on new developments.

  • Recording and allocating adapted housing, to make best use of existing stock.

As well as building new adapted homes it’s important that we make the best use of existing adapted homes. Working with partners and colleagues we want to understand what adapted homes we have and to ensure that they are matched to people who need the adaptations. This will help use to avoid waste as well as supporting people who need adaptations to move into a home that is right for them.

  • Making existing homes more energy efficient and building new energy efficient homes.

Energy efficient homes mean lower energy bills for residents as well as lower carbon emissions. Energy efficient homes mean lower energy bills for residents as well as lower carbon emissions. For the homes that the council owns, we will apply for funding as well as allocating money from our budget to bring properties up to EPC C. Over the longer-term and where possible, we will work within our budget envelope and actively pursue funding that allows us to deliver net zero within our housing stock.

We will work with private landlords and homeowners through grants and advice to improve energy efficiency. We will also support all our residents to reduce their energy use through various schemes offering personalised advice. We will work with developers and other partners to bring forward new and innovative low carbon housing schemes.

  • Keeping our promises to our tenants.

Cheshire West and Chester Council owns approximately 5,500 council homes. We will work with tenants to ensure their homes are safe, decent, well managed and maintained. We will invest in our housing stock to achieve this, and work with tenants to deliver the Together with Tenants Charter commitments putting tenants at the heart of decision making. Our Council Housing Management Board, an advisory body to the Councils Executive Cabinet and consisting of councillors, tenants and independent members, will oversee our work and provide the challenge needed to deliver continuous service improvements whilst also ensuring that we meet the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housings new consumer standards.

Priority Three: Affordable homes of all tenures across the borough

This priority is about making sure we have the right mix of homes in our borough to meet the needs of our residents now and in the future. It is important that everyone who lives in our borough can find a permanent home that they can afford whether they are looking to rent or buy. We need more affordable homes to meet the needs of local residents and address homelessness. The council will work with partners to identify and bring forward new sites for development and to ensure that we have good quality homes for our residents. We understand the importance of housing in developing strong communities and supporting economic growth. We want to see the regeneration of town centres and the development of new housing in areas that can support growth.

Supporting plans and strategies

The detail of how we will deliver against our priorities is contained in the following key policies and strategies:

  • Homelessness and Rough Sleeping strategy
  • Empty Homes Strategy
  • Local Plan
  • Rural Regeneration and Growth Strategy
  • Allocations Policy for Social Housing
  • Tenancy Strategy

How we will make a difference

  • Helping households who have experienced homelessness to find their long-term home.

Being homeless can have a long-term impact on individual and households mental and physical health. We want to help households affected by homelessness to find a home that they can afford and give them the skills to ensure they can maintain their housing in the long term.

  • Providing a range of accommodation options to meet the diverse needs of residents.

Our borough has a diverse range of residents, and we will strive to have suitable housing and accommodation options to meet their needs. This means working with communities and partners to understand the needs of all our different communities and working together to deliver the range of homes needed. We will also continue to support Gypsies and Travellers and ensure effective and proportionate management of encampments.

  • Increasing supply and access to the private rented sector.

We know more people are living in privately rented homes. We want to help people to access the private rental sector. We need to work with private landlords to develop incentives and support to increase the supply of affordable homes for residents with a housing need. We see private landlords as partners in providing homes and want to work with them to increase the number of good quality, affordable private sector homes.

  • Repurposing and bringing back into use empty homes.

Empty homes are a wasted resource and can have a negative impact on the community. They can attract anti social behaviour and impact the neighbourhood around them. We want to bring them back into use again with a specialist empty homes team that uses a range of tools including grants, incentives, and the use of compulsory purchase orders.

  • Ensure social housing is allocated fairly to those in greatest need.

We will implement the West Cheshire Homes Common Allocation Policy to ensure that social housing is allocated fairly and objectively to those in the greatest housing need. We will monitor and review the policy. It is also important that the application process, the availability, and allocation of homes is transparent so households can make informed choices about where they want to live.

  • Increasing social housing across the borough to allow more households to rent social homes.

For some households in our borough a social home is the best option for them. We know there is a lack of social housing, and our housing list continues to grow. We need to work with registered housing providers to increase the number of social homes as well as making best use of any grants or funding available to either purchase or build new social housing. Although there is high demand for all social housing property types the need is most acute for one-bedroom properties so we will ensure there is housing need data informing future developments.

  • Increasing the number of affordable homes.

Working with developers, registered housing providers and communities we want to build homes that meet what we know our borough needs. A range of affordable options are important including Rent to Buy, shared ownership and discount market sale homes. We will work with community groups and other partners where there is an interest in developing new or innovative local housing to build capacity and investigate ways of delivering the homes that a community needs.