1. Home
  2. Council and Democracy
  3. Your Councillors

APPENDIX A

Housing Strategy 2016-2020

Priorities, Outcomes and Actions

Priority 1: Enable and support the delivery of quality homes across the housing market

Outcomes – What we plan to achieve

 

a)    Enable the delivery of 18,500 homes as identified in the emerging Local Plan; and has an appropriate policy framework in place that delivers an appropriate mix, tenure and range of housing to meet identified need.

b)     Deliver a mix of homes of different types, tenure and size, via direct provision and in partnership with private developers, housing associations and other key partners, which meet the needs of the local population.

c)    Deliver new affordable homes that are designed to a high standard, energy efficient, accessible and respond to people’s changing needs.

d)    Maximise housing investment opportunities by seeking innovative funding and delivery options to support housing delivery within Maidstone.

 

Actions – What we will do in order to achieve the stated outcomes

Outcome

What we plan to do

Key Partners

1b
  • Create a Local Housing Company to build/acquire new affordable and private homes to meet the commercial and housing objectives of the council.

MBC Housing & Enabling Team, Legal & Finance Consultants, Housing Developers,

MBC Planning,

Landowners,

Homes & Communities Agency

1a/b/c/d
  • Ensure the emerging Local Plan provides an appropriate policy framework for affordable housing, including the production of an Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

MBC Housing & Enabling Team , MBC Spatial Planning Policy,

Housing Developers,

Registered Providers,

Homes & Communities Agency

1a/b/c

·         Promote home ownership products e.g. Help to Buy, Shared Ownership and self-build in Maidstone.

MBC Housing & Enabling Team , Landowners,

Housing Developers,

MBC Planning

1b

·         Monitor and respond to the changing social housing market, including:

o    Impact of the 1% annual reduction in social rents over the next 4 years.

o    Impact of the affordable rent regime on affordability.

o   Impact of the Allocation Scheme to ensure social housing is being allocated effectively and fairly.

MBC Housing & Enabling Team , Housing Developers,

Registered Providers,

Homes & Communities Agency,

MBC Benefits

1a/b

·         Enable the delivery of new affordable housing, particularly 1 and 2 bedroom  homes to meet the identified need.

MBC Housing & Enabling Team , MBC Planning, Housing Developers,

Registered Providers

1d

·         Explore opportunities for funding investment with a range of partners including the Local Enterprise Partnership, Homes & Communities Agency, institutional investors that will contribute  towards the delivery of housing across the market.

MBC Housing & Enabling Team , Landowners,

Housing Developers,

Registered Providers,

Homes & Communities Agency, DCLG, LGA, LEP

1b/c

·         Consider on a site by site basis  joint venture and partnership models to share expertise, income, resources and risk.

MBC Housing & Enabling Team , Registered Providers,

Housing Developers,

Landowners,

External Contractors / Consultants,

Kent Housing Group, DCLG, LEP, KCC,

1a/b

·         Work with planning, the local and Gypsy Traveller and Travelling communities to identify potential housing sites to meet identified need.

MBC Housing & Enabling Team ,

MBC Planning,

Gypsy and Traveller Community,

Parish Councils,

Kent County Council

1b/c

·         Bring forward Brunswick Street car park to deliver a quality housing scheme to meet housing and commercial objectives

MBC Housing & Enabling Team, MBC Planning, Housing Developers, External contractors/consultants, Registered Providers, Landowners.

 

 

Priority 2: Ensure that existing housing in the Maidstone Borough is safe, desirable and promotes good health and wellbeing

Outcomes – What we plan to achieve

a)    To raise housing quality and standards across all tenures and improve the condition of existing homes to maximise health and wellbeing outcomes for all.

b)    To improve health outcomes for residents by reducing health inequality to ensure a healthy standard of living for all.

 

c)    Promote ways for residents to improve their health and wellbeing by tackling fuel poverty, energy efficiency advice and managing domestic bills.

 

Actions – What we will do in order to achieve the stated outcomes

Outcomes

What we plan to do

Key Partners

2a
  • Improve the condition and supply of accommodation within the private rental sector by engaging with landlords to support good management and bring empty properties back into use.

National Landlords Association, Maidstone Landlords Forum, Landlords, Homeowners, MBC Housing & Health Team

2a/b/c/d
  • Assist with delivery of the Health Inequalities Action Plan

Maidstone Health and Well-Being Group, MBC

KCC

Children’s Centres

West Kent NHS Trust – Midwives

and Health visitors

West Kent CCG – Commissioners

and GPs

KCHT

Registered Providers, Schools, Age UK, Youth Providers.

2a
  • Review key strategic documents to ensure they remain relevant to today’s market, including:
    • The Council’s Tenancy Strategy
    • The new national technical standards.
    • Council’s Housing Assistance Policy
    • The Council’s Housing Standards Enforcement Policy

MBC Planning, MBC Housing, Registered Providers, Housing Developers, private landlords

2c
  • Promote closer co-operation with the Revenues and Benefits and DHP Team to assist customers in difficulty who require further support to help solve their financial issues.

MBC Housing and Inclusion Team, Registered Providers MBC Benefits, CAB

2a
  • Promote the review of the Disabled Facilities Grant to provide an efficient service that assists disabled residents to remain in their home.

KCC, MBC Housing and Health Team, Registered Providers, Private Sector  Landlords, Homeowners

2b/c/d
  • Initiate projects such as the Roseholme Healthy Homes Pilot, that will improve the health and well-being of residents within the Borough

MBC Housing & Inclusion Team, MBC Housing & Health Team, Maidstone Health and well-being group, KCC, External businesses, Voluntary groups

2b/d
  • Work with NHS Health trainers to support residents to achieve healthier lifestyle choices with issues such as Healthy eating, quitting smoking, exercise and emotional well-being

Kent Community Health (NHS Health Trainers), MBC Housing & Health Team , GP’s, Registered Providers, CAB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Priority 3: Prevent Homelessness, Secure Provision of Appropriate Accommodation for Homeless Households and Supporting Vulnerable People

Outcomes – What we plan to achieve

a)    Prevent and relieve homelessness amongst local residents who are at risk of homelessness by offering timely, expert advice that helps to prevent their homelessness.

b)    Increase the availability of suitable accommodation for homeless households via direct provision and the use of the private rented sector, to reduce temporary accommodation costs, length of stay and reliance on bed and breakfast accommodation.

c)    Support independent living and reduce risk of repeat homelessness for vulnerable residents by offering a range of housing options, advice and support to maintain or improve their health and well-being.


Actions – What we will do in order to achieve the stated outcomes

Outcomes

What we plan to do

Key Partners

3a/b/c
  • Deliver our existing Homelessness Strategy Action Plan

MBC Housing & Inclusion team, MBC Housing & Enabling Team, Private Landlords, Registered Providers, Voluntary Groups, CAB, KCC Social Services, Schools, Supported Housing Providers

3b
  • To expand on the success of Aylesbury House by investing in the acquisition/purchase of additional temporary accommodation within Maidstone to house homeless and vulnerable households.

MBC Housing & Inclusion team, MBC Housing & Enabling Team, Homes & Communities Agency, DCLG, Land owners, Property owners, Private institutional investors, Agents

3c
  • Strengthen partnership working at local, county and national level and understanding of assistance and options available to homeless and vulnerable households.

MBC Housing & Inclusion team, KCC, DCLG, KHOG, CAB, Voluntary groups, Registered Providers

3a
  • Continue to support private sector landlords and tenants to maintain their tenancies by offering pre-tenancy training.

Private Sector Landlords, Registered Providers, Tenants, MBC Housing & Inclusion team

3a/c
  • Provide specialist targeted information and advice services that will enable people to improve their own housing and health circumstances, prevent homelessness and make best use of resources.

MBC Housing & Inclusion team, MBC Housing & Health team, MBC Housing & Enabling Team, CAB, KCC, NHS Health trainers

3a/c
  • Support affected households to manage welfare reform changes to the benefit system.

MBC Housing & Inclusion team, MBC Benefits, Registered Providers, CAB, Private Landlords

3c
  • Ensure homeless households have access to volunteering, training and employment opportunities

Job Centre Plus, Voluntary groups, MBC Housing & Inclusion team, CAB

3b
  • Secure shared housing for under-35s single homeless people.

MBC Housing & Inclusion team, MBC Housing & Enabling team, Private Sector Landlords, Agents

3b
  • Expand the Homefinder incentive scheme to more landlords within Maidstone and neighbouring boroughs

MBC Housing & Inclusion team, Private Landlords, National Landlords Association, Maidstone Landlords Forum, Agents