This Council has grave concerns about the potential impact of government reforms to housing benefit and recognises its responsibility to act to protect the welfare of affected residents in Leeds.
Council also notes that the housing waiting list currently stands at 27,000, that no Council housing was built between 1980 and 2008 whilst more than 28,000 properties were sold off under the right to buy.
However, Council also notes that the current lettings policy, whilst aiming to provide fairness and transparency, often limits the ability of tenants to move home and therefore affects housing supply.
Council believes it is unfair that some families should suffer overcrowding at the same time that others are unable to move to a smaller property that better suits their needs due to a lack of priority.
Given the current volume of tenants wishing to move and the lack of available properties, Council calls on the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning and Support Services to reform current lettings policy, allowing appropriate prioritisation for tenants who wish to move to a smaller home to be implemented by local housing offices. This will help free up suitable housing for overcrowded families and mitigate the impact to tenants of reforms to the benefit system.
Council further calls for the Exec Member to review such arrangements after a suitable period to assess their effectiveness at achieving the specified objective.
S GOLTON
Minutes:
It was moved by Councillor Golton, seconded by Councillor M Hamilton that this Council has grave concerns about the potential impact of government reforms to housing benefit and recognises its responsibility to act to protect the welfare of affected residents in Leeds.
Council also notes that the housing waiting list currently stands at 27,000, that no Council housing was built between 1980 and 2008 whilst more than 28,000 properties were sold off under the right to buy.
However, Council also notes that the current lettings policy, whilst aiming to provide fairness and transparency, often limits the ability of tenants to move home and therefore affects housing supply.
Council believes it is unfair that some families should suffer overcrowding at the same time that others are unable to move to a smaller property that better suits their needs due to a lack of priority.
Given the current volume of tenants wishing to move and the lack of available properties, Council calls on the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning and Support Services to reform current lettings policy, allowing appropriate prioritisation for tenants who wish to move to a smaller home to be implemented by local housing offices. This will help free up suitable housing for overcrowded families and mitigate the impact to tenants of reforms to the benefit system.
Council further calls for the Exec Member to review such arrangements after a suitable period to assess their effectiveness at achieving the specified objective.
An amendment was moved by Councillor Gruen, seconded by Councillor Congreve, that this Council has grave concerns about the potential impact of Government reforms to housing benefit and recognises its responsibility to act to protect the welfare of affected residents in Leeds.
Delete all after ‘residents in Leeds’ and replace with:-
Council recognises that if these reforms are given the go-ahead, some of the most vulnerable people in the city will be hit the hardest by these changes.
Furthermore, Council also acknowledges the enormous challenge this authority faces through its lettings policy in tackling a housing waiting list that currently stands at 27,000. Council reiterates its aspiration to deliver more social and affordable housing in the city.
Whilst this Council welcomes a range of positive changes which have already been made to the lettings policy by the current administration, council also underlines its continuing commitment given the severity of the housing situation and complexity of many issues, to see where further improvements could potentially be made to the system.
A revised draft lettings policy, which responds to this and other challenges, will be presented to the Executive Board in December (advertised on the forward plan in August 2012). It is proposed that an all party working group is created to inform and oversee the consultation process before formal adoption.
A second amendment was moved by Councillor Anderson, seconded by Councillor Lamb to delete all after ‘affected residents in Leeds’ and replace with:-
‘Council notes the historically high numbers on the Social Housing Register in Leeds and in particular those residents of Leeds who are in need of a home due to homelessness, or their current housing needs are assessed as not being adequate by the Housing Options team, or they are ex members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces.
Council believes that imaginative solutions need to be brought forward by the administration, including identifying potential sources of funding, to provide additional housing in various parts of the city to meet these needs. Any new housing should be on Brownfield sites, throughout the city.
This Council further acknowledges the work done by the previous administration in freeing up family housing through the successful Under Occupation Scheme.
This Council calls for the Executive Board Member to bring a report to Executive Board outlining the options available in addressing this issue in both the short and long term.’
Motion would read:-
‘This Council has grave concerns about the potential impact of Government reforms to housing benefit and recognises its responsibility to act to protect the welfare of affected residents in Leeds.
Council notes the historically high numbers on the Social Housing Register in Leeds and in particular those residents of Leeds who are in need of a home due to homelessness, or their current housing needs are assessed as not being adequate by the Housing Options team, or they are ex members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces.
Council believes that imaginative solutions need to be brought forward by the administration, including identifying potential sources of funding, to provide additional housing in various parts of the city to meet these needs. Any new housing should be on Brownfield sites, throughout the city.
This Council further acknowledges the work done by the previous administration in freeing up family housing through the successful Under Occupation Scheme.
This Council calls for the Executive Board Member to bring a report to Executive Board outlining the options available in addressing this issue in both the short and long term.’
The amendment in the name of Councillor Gruen was carried, and upon being put as the substantive motion, it was
RESOLVED – That this Council has grave concerns about the potential impact of Government reforms to housing benefit and recognises its responsibility to act to protect the welfare of affected residents in Leeds.
Council recognises that if these reforms are given the go-ahead, some of the most vulnerable people in the city will be hit the hardest by these changes.
Furthermore, Council also acknowledges the enormous challenge this authority faces through its lettings policy in tackling a housing waiting list that currently stands at 27,000. Council reiterates its aspiration to deliver more social and affordable housing in the city.
Whilst this Council welcomes a range of positive changes which have already been made to the lettings policy by the current administration, council also underlines its continuing commitment given the severity of the housing situation and complexity of many issues, to see where further improvements could potentially be made to the system.
A revised draft lettings policy, which responds to this and other challenges, will be presented to the Executive Board in December (advertised on the forward plan in August 2012). It is proposed that an all party working group is created to inform and oversee the consultation process before formal adoption.