Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Health introduced the report highlighting three priorities: the delivery of a range of housing types, ensuring existing homes in the Borough are maintained, and securing the very best support for the most vulnerable residents. The Action Plan set out the framework to achieve the aims of the Housing Strategy and included an increase in temporary accommodation and supported housing options, interventions to prevent homelessness and sustained tenure for vulnerable people. The funding of the Action Plan was outlined including the Council’s support to Golding Homes who had applied for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and how we are signposting residents to schemes such as the Home Upgrade grant which retrofitted houses that have no access to gas.

In considering the report, the Committee suggested that the Housing Strategy should connect its actions more coherently with the Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan. The Committee also enquired about the progress of Golding Homes’ bid for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and were informed that the Council is working collaboratively with Golding Homes to identify properties most likely to be affected by damp and mould. 

The Committee expressed concern that demand for affordable and social housing was increasing nationally and whether a ‘Right to Rent’ policy could be introduced to mitigate the situation for mortgage payers.  They were informed that there was no government scheme to help residents with mortgage payments similar to a ‘Right to Rent’ policy but this was being raised with the Department for Levelling Up, Homes & Community.  It was noted that the Housing Options team understood the pressures of the market in Maidstone and had received the highest number of approaches in Kent for homeless applications, but were dealing with the issue effectively as Maidstone was in the lower quartile in temporary accommodation per thousand population. The 1,000 Affordable Homes project would assist with increasing demand in time, and achieving this target was the priority, but it could be revised in the future.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Housing and Health be recommended to adopt the Housing Strategy 2022-23 Action Plan.