Agenda item

The joint report of the Director of Communities, Housing and Environment and the Director of Adults and Health informs the Board about the emerging Health and Housing programme of work as well as wider conversations about the new Housing Strategy and the ideas that are being discussed as part of scoping for the new City Ambition and the Marmot programme. 

The report of the Director of Communities, Housing and Environment and the Director of Adults and Health informed the Board about the emerging Health and Housing programme of work as well as wider conversations about the new housing strategy and ideas that were being discussed as part of scoping for the new city ambition and the Marmot programme.  The paper sought input from the Board on how the programme could better support the Health and Wellbeing Strategy by improving health through housing and by engaging a wider group of strategic and operational stakeholders.

Tony Cooke, Chief Officer, Health Partnerships and Maddie Edwards gave the Board a presentation.

Key issues highlighted included the following:

·  The need for people to live in homes that promoted health and were sustainable and stable.

·  The need for investment in housing, particularly for vulnerable people.

·  Impacts of poor housing on health.

·  Health issues and support for homeless people.

·  Aims of the new Housing Strategy:

-  Affordable Housing Growth

-  Improving Housing Quality

-  Reduce Rough Sleeping and Homelessness

-  Creating Sustainable Communities

-  Improving Health Through Housing

-  Age Friendly Housing

·  Investment in council housing to improve energy efficiency.

·  Council House Growth Program.

·  Introduction of Private Sector Licensing.

·  Provision of Extra Care Housing.

·   

In response to questions from the Board, the following was discussed:

·  Consulting young people and children was essential and a youth Housing Area Panel was to be trialled.

·  Improvements in areas where selective licensing had been introduced.

·  Home visits could be used to identify issues such as hoarding and self neglect.  There were no longer visits to 100% of tenants but vulnerable tenants were prioritised.

·  Further information was requested on passive housing.  Reference was made to energy efficiency work that has helped people to reduce bills.

·  The areas selected for selective licence had a large number of private landlords.  Work carried out was not just in relation to the housing stock but to support the people living there with issues such as employment and training.  The proposed registration scheme would operate differently.  If the selective licensing scheme was successful and funding was available, it would be hoped to extend it.

·  Dental care for homeless people – the Board was asked to support, in principle, the provision of Dental Services for homeless people and ask NHS England to implement this as soon as possible.

·  There was a large waiting list for housing and even those who were high priority were waiting up to two years.  There was currently a low turnover of properties.

·  A Key part of the Health and Housing Programme was a training programme which included early intervention to identify people’s needs.

·  Concern that selective licensing would lead to tenants picking up the cost of improvements through increased rents. 

RESOLVED –

(1)  That a Housing representative be invited to join the Health and Wellbeing Board.

(2)  That the Health and Wellbeing Board supports strengthened connections between housing and health strategies and closer alignment and integration between teams working across housing and health services.

(3)  That the proposed Health and Housing programme priorities be noted, particularly:

·  The work programme for housing and health

·  The potential creation of a Good Home Agency

·  The development of a Health and Housing ‘Breakthrough Project’

·  Focusing on housing as part of the Marmot City work