1.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

2.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.      

2.1     In October 2021 the CHE Committee approved a draft Housing Strategy for consultation. The survey was carried out by the Council’s Consultation & Engagement Team and was open between 12^th November and 31^st December 2021. The questionnaire was promoted online through the Council’s website and our social media channels. Residents who have signed up for consultation reminders were notified and sent an invitation to participate in the consultation.

2.2     The responses from residents were weighted and the unweighted response includes other stakeholders e.g. Housing Providers and Partners, Businesses and Parish Councils. The total including unweighted responses were 709 and weighted responses 664.  

2.3     Overall, the stakeholder respondents were more likely to answer positively when asked if the draft priorities for the Housing Strategy were appropriate and relevant (with 82% answering this way), compared to 64% of resident respondents.

2.4     Residents and Stakeholders differed in what they thought of as the most important priority. Stakeholders placed ‘Prevent homelessness and enable vulnerable people to access appropriate housing and support’ as the most import. While residents placed ‘Ensure existing homes are safe, sustainable, of good quality and support residents’ health and wellbeing’ as first.

2.5     When asked what was missing from the priorities, the most common theme that came up was infrastructure with respondents feeling that this needs to be improved to cope with additional housing.

2.6     The top element for residents on delivering new homes was ‘increasing the number of homes which can be purchased via low-cost home ownership schemes’. Stakeholders placed ‘increasing the number of homes that can be rented below market rent as first and placed the element on home ownership as third. 

2.7     In exploring ways to make more homes available both residents and stakeholders rated ‘identifying and bringing back into use empty homes’ as the most important element; and ‘building larger homes (4+ bedrooms) as the least important element.

2.8     When asked about building new homes residents rated ‘improving the design of housing and neighbourhoods through the creation and maintenance of open space areas, energy efficiency and parking standards’ as the most important element. Stakeholders placed this element second and rated ‘providing attractive and energy efficient homes’ first. Both stakeholder and residents ranked ‘building larger homes (4+ bedrooms)’ as last in importance.  

2.9     When asked about making the best use of existing homes residents ranked ‘bringing empty homes back into use’ as the most important element while stakeholder ranked ‘ensuring homes are ward and energy is affordable’ as most important. Both residents and stakeholder ranked ‘do more to address property conditions in the private sector’.

2.10  In relation to supporting communities and creating neighbourhoods’ residents ranked ‘green space’ as being the most important element. Stakeholders ranked this element as third placing ‘parking provision’ as most important.

2.11  Working with partners - both residents and stakeholder ranked ‘ensuring services are joined up with others who support the health and wellbeing of residents as most important. Both groups also ranked ‘identifying more land for Gypsy and Traveller site to be developed as part of the Local Plan process’ as least important in this section of the survey.

2.12  The response from the 18 to 34 years group was low and the views of minority groups deviated the most from the overall result. This group account for 4.2% of survey respondents – less than the proportion of minority groups in Maidstone overall.  Although weighting brings the representation of this group in the survey data up to 8.5%.

2.13  Only three responses were received from Housing Association Partners. Due to the important relationship between the Council’s Housing Strategy and the delivery of affordable housing by our key housing partners, it is proposed to undertake a further round of consultation with stakeholders through a focus group.

2.14  The information gleaned from the consultation will be considered for inclusion in the final draft of the Housing Strategy 2022-25.

3.   AVAILABLE OPTIONS

3.1     The report is for noting.

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1     Members are asked to note the outcome of the Housing Strategy consultation.

5.       RISK

5.1    The consultation is an important part in the development of the new Housing Strategy and will help inform the production of the final document.

6.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

6.1     The full detailed outcome of the consultation is over 40 pages in length and to avoid unnecessary printing an digital version is available upon request.   

6.2     It is proposed to consult in more detail with our housing association partners to help further inform the delivery of affordable housing in the context of the recently produced government White Paper on ‘levelling up’.

7.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

7.1     Once the further discussion has taken place with key stakeholders, and officers have had the opportunity to fully understand the implications of the Levelling Up White Paper, it is intended that the draft Housing Strategy is presented in June via the new governance arrangements, to then be recommended for adoption by the Council thereafter. 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

·         None

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

Draft Housing Strategy for Consultation, presented to the CHE Committee October 2021.