Issue - meetings

1.     That the new Young Persons’ Housing Strategy 2016 - 2020 as set out in Appendix 1 of the report to Cabinet for a six week consultation period be approved.

2.     That approval of the Young Persons’ Housing Strategy 2016 – 2020 following consultation be delegated to the Assistant Director (Housing) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing.

Decision

1.     That the new Young Persons’ Housing Strategy 2016 - 2020 as set out in Appendix 1 of the report to Cabinet for a six week consultation period be approved.

2.     That approval of the Young Persons’ Housing Strategy 2016 – 2020 following consultation be delegated to the Assistant Director (Housing) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing.

Reason for Decision

To seek Cabinet approval for the new Young Persons’ Housing Strategy 2016 - 2020 (Appendix 1) prior to commencing a formal six week consultation period  and to agree appropriate delegations to approve the strategy following consultation.

Implications

Financial

There are no financial commitments made in the strategy, and the majority of the strategy relates to focusing, targeting, and maximising benefits from existing resources.

The strategy commits to exploring options to use some of its Housing Revenue Account (HRA) assets in different ways.  These could have some financial implications in order to be achieved and therefore the strategy recognises that an options appraisal with financial information would be required before proceeding.

Customer profiling commitments in the strategy feed into a larger piece of work in the housing service plan for 2016/17 that has already been budgeted for.

Value for Money

·   Direct costs to the Council

This strategy sets out evidence that younger age groups are currently presenting a direct cost to the Council due to:

-    The likelihood of experiencing housing need or homelessness; and

-    Difficulties sustaining council tenancies and likelihood of having rent arrears.

Reorganising / refocusing some of the housing service’s resources to target factors associated with these costs would produce a savings benefit to the Council in terms of improved income collection rates and reduced homelessness.

This sits within a wider context of trying to use evidence to focus resources on preventable causes of costs, as part of a move to make the housing service more proactive, flexible, and sophisticated.

Wider economic costs

The Council recognises the importance of its young people to its future economic success. 

The current housing market in Dacorum presents specific challenges to younger people at the start of their adult lives and careers.  Young individuals and families in unsuitable housing, or without suitable support to maintain a tenancy successfully, may experience high levels of anxiety in relation to their housing and financial situation, which may have knock on effects on many areas of life, including employment prospects, children’s wellbeing, and household health.  These effects have costs for the wider economic performance of Dacorum. 

Value for money savings can therefore be achieved through recognition of the needs of this group and focusing resources effectively.

Risk Implications

There are both direct cost and wider economic risks to the Council if it does not respond to the evidence about younger people and their capacity to resolve their housing need and sustain tenancies within Dacorum.

There is a financial risk to ‘doing-nothing’ and this strategy identifies how the Council can make use of its resources to invest-to-save.

Equalities Implications

This strategy has been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27