Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report for Members’ consideration, attaching the draft final report of the Board’s inquiry

into Housing Lettings Pressures.  The draft inquiry report reflected the evidence presented to Members and the subsequent discussions at the Working Group meetings.

The Board’s inquiry had been undertaken in accordance with the Council’s Scrutiny Board Procedure Rules and, as such, advice on the draft recommendations has been sought from the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods.  The following advice was given to the meeting:

Recommendation 2 

“That, to supplement the Member briefing sessions (referred to above), the Strategic Landlord produce and maintain a Members’ handbook on the Council’s lettings Polices.

Rationale 

Seek to clarify that this should relate to Lettings Policies.

Recommendation 13

That, within 12 months, the Chief Housing Services Officer establishes and commences a process, involving all key stakeholders, to determine the future customer profile of Council Housing within Leeds.

Rationale 

This seeks to provide clarity around this process being targeted at who Council Housing will be for rather than the organisation and management of Council stock – which is how the previous recommendation could be interpreted.”

The Chair welcomed to the meeting Paul Langford, Chief Housing Services Officer and John Statham, Strategic Landlord Manager, both from Environment and Neighbourhoods Department who responded to Members’ questions and comments.

RESOLVED -  That, subject to the following amendments, the report be referred to the Executive Board Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing and the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods for consideration at the earliest opportunity: 

Agenda Page 31 (Report Page 5)

·  Paragraph 1: Delete ‘letting’ and insert ‘lettings’

·  Paragraph 2, 6^th bullet point: Include examples of unacceptable   behaviour – e.g. significant rent arrears, anti social behaviour and   perpetrators of domestic violence.

Agenda Page 32 (Report Page 6)

·  Paragraph 5:  Insert title immediately beforehand ‘Supply and demand   for Council Housing in Leeds’

·  Paragraph 6: Insert additional bullet point detailing extent of the current waiting list (i.e. the Leeds Homes Register – 30k registered of which   1300 have Priority Extra housing needs, 1700 have Priority housing   needs and 27k have General housing needs.)

Agenda Page 37 (Report Page 11)

·  Paragraph 33, 5th bullet point: Include brief explanation of ‘a Housing   Solutions approach’ or include reference to later section in the report,   specifically paragraph 61.

·  Paragraph 35, 2nd bullet point: Delete ‘…is suggested is some…’ and insert ‘…is suggested in some…’

Agenda Page 38 (Report Page 12)

·  Paragraph 40 (last sentence): Delete ‘mat’ and insert ‘may’.

Agenda Page 39 (Report Page 13)

·  Paragraph 43: Delete ‘…number of bedroom required.’ And insert   ‘…number of bedrooms required.’

Agenda Page 41 (Report Page 15)

·  Paragraph 51: Delete ‘…due to be re-launched…’ and insert ‘…due to   be relaunched…’. Delete ‘We whole-heartedly…’ and insert ‘ We wholeheartedly…’

·  Paragraph 55: Delete ‘…overcrowding or under occupation.’ and insert   ‘…‘…overcrowding or under-occupation.’’

Agenda Page 48 (Report Page 22)

·  Reports and Publications Submitted: Insert ‘Copies of the above reports   are available on request’

Agenda Page 33 (Report Page 7)

·  Recommendation 2

"That, to supplement the Member briefing sessions (referred to above), the Strategic Landlord produce and maintain a Members’ handbook on the Council’s Lettings Policies.

Agenda Page 35 (Report Page 9)

·  Recommendation 4

That, working with each of the Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) and the Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation (BITMO), the Strategic Landlord seeks to develop a set of principles to ensure that all information on all the Local Lettings Policies in operation across the City is  easily accessible by all members of the public, and are presented in a clear and consistent manner, by December 2008.

Agenda Page 47 (Report Page 21)

·   Recommendation 13

That, within 12 months, the Chief Housing Services Officer establishes and commences a process, involving all key stakeholders, to determine  the future customer profile of the Council Housing within Leeds.