Local authorities and responsibility housing markets leadership - - PDF document

Local authorities and housing markets

Sarah Davis Senior Policy and Practice Officer 30th June 2011

CIH and strategic housing role

LAs

• unique position
• responsibility
• leadership

Partnership

• capacity
• influence
• engagement

CIH and strategic role (2)

Wider local impacts – ‘beyond bricks and mortar’

• local economic partnerships
• sustainable communities
• health and wellbeing
• environmental sustainability

A fresh focus

• Economic environment –

deficit reduction

• Public funding and local

authorities’ settlement

• Significant public sector reform
• Policy context – significant

changes

• Local decision making –

development and services

LAs’ central role

Getting the whole picture – best placed

• Pulling together different

impacts in different sectors

• Social housing reform and

affordable rent programme – focus on social sector

• Real pressures for owner
• ccupation
• Role of PRS

LAs’ central role (2)

• Level of detail to support

effective understanding

• Flexibility – timescales and

changes

• Multiple changes and

cumulative impacts

Role of councillors – support Barriers to new development

Big picture – whole markets

Shared understanding – current and local

• Flexible and responsive to change
• Monitor, identify, act/ intervene

Detailed and across sectors Different markets in different spatial range

• Across LAs
• At neighbourhoods
• Involving wider partners: business/

health

Big picture (2)

Attracting investment

• Big players
• Smaller investors
• ‘accidental landlords’

Population choices

• What drives decisions and changes

in behaviour

Existing housing as part of offer

• Current and future households
• More strategic and creative

solutions

Shaping markets effectively

What LAs can control / influence

• RP partners
• Private developers
• Businesses

Social and economic impacts to date

• What has/ not worked
• Interventions to address

Numbers or sustainable communities?

• Local impacts of welfare changes/ local approaches
• Spatial planning
• Local investment plan
• Allocations and homelessness

Inform and lead debate

Tenancy strategies – the framework

Localism Bill - Tenancy strategy

• High level objectives
• RPS (LA housing management function) to

‘have regard to’ it, including

• Kind of tenancies granted
• Circumstances shaping the type of tenancy
• ffered
• Length
• Circumstances directing further tenancy offer

Tenancy strategy (2)

Issues

• LA tenancy strategy – 1 yr from Bill’s enactment
• (likely late 2012)
• RPs tenancy policies – now
• What ‘teeth’ the tenancy strategy can have

Start now!

Meaningful conversations Beyond type of tenancy Looking at local sustainability

• Planning
• Allocations

Developing the strategy’s influence and impact

• What it can offer partners
• Support and evidence - examples
• Local communities’ needs and aspirations

Data

• Stock and tenure

profile

• Stock turnover and

type

• Housing markets
• Current rent levels

and affordability

• Incomes
• Housing needs

register: size needed

• Lettings to general

needs and specialist housing

• Length of residence
• Moves out of social

housing

• Effect of welfare

reforms

• Effect of tenure and

tenancy management

• Plans for new homes

More than a new ‘duty’

Look at the impact for the whole offer Think beyond prescribed role 2015 – a very different social and ‘affordable rent’

• ffer
• Context of welfare reform and recession
• Rapidly changing needs, demands and markets

How effectively to meet these needs, demands and outcomes for communities? Local authorities, working with others, best placed to do this.

Some key questions

What will the social and affordable rent

• ffer look like in 2015 in your local

What will the housing offer need to be in future? area What do you need to do so that the housing offer:

• Meets housing needs and demand?
• Contributes to wider objectives?
• Is understood by public and customers?
• Makes best use of all resources?

If outcomes won’t be met, what action will you take?

What help is on offer

Free publications

• The local authority role in

understanding housing markets

• Managing the impact of

reforms – tenure strategy

• Housing evidence base –

to come

Training in partnership with East Midlands Councils

www.cih.org/policy/free- publications.htm

What help is on offer (2)

Evidence base and intelligence

• Housing benefit

calculator

• Partnership with

Hometrack

• Evidence base

roundtable in summer

Capability

• Practice online
• Practice briefings e.g

allocations and local flexibility

• Supported community
• f practice

Bespoke support

• CIH START

–Tel: 024 7647 2720 –www.cih.org/start

Thank you

Any questions? Talk to us: Sarah.davis@cih.org 024 7685 1793