Building Better Lives Getting the best from strategic housing Janet Williams – Senior Research...

Building Better LivesGetting the best from strategic housing

Janet Williams – Senior Research Manager

Audit Commission Building Better Lives2

Why the research?

Inspection reports

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

1

23

71

17

Excellent

Promising

Uncertain

Poor

3

72

32

5

Performance ratings Prospects for Improvement

Source: 112 Strategic Housing inspections to May 2008


Good housing strategy delivers more than just houses

Sustainable communities

Good housing

• Delivery of housing of right type, in right place & right standard enables sustainability

• Reduced incidence of hypothermia, asthma & respiratory illnesses

• Reduction in homelessness leads to greater stability for children & higher educational attainment

• Sufficient supply of housing, particularly private rented sector, helps support labour market mobility

Better public health

Better educational outcomes

• Economic development


Research methodology

• analysis of existing datasets• outcome delivery chain workshops• telephone survey of 100 local authority chief executives• email survey of Local Strategic Partnerships• analysis of Sustainable Community Strategies for reference

to housing• interviews with strategic housing managers, local strategic

partnership leads, registered social landlords, developers, planners in 12 fieldwork sites

• interviews with other stakeholders


Many councils struggle to grasp the opportunity strategic housing presents

• Visions for housing in an area are not always consistent with broader ambitions

• Councils are data-rich but information-poor • Housing partnerships/relationships are seldom well developed

• Regulatory powers are not used sufficiently • Skilled and competent staff are still in short supply


Even well-regarded councils assessed their own performance as mixed


Objectives of the strategic housing functionAffordable housing is the objective overwhelmingly cited by chief executives, with little mention of housing’s wider contribution.

Energy efficiency 1

Tackling low demand 1

Reduce fuel poverty 1

Worklessness 5

Mixed communities 6

Health improvement 9

Regulate private rented sector 9

Community Cohesion 11

Improving PRS 20

Tenure choice 22

Retaining population 27

Reduce homelessness 31

Stimulate regeneration 31

Sustainable communities 32

Balancing housing markets 39

Decent Homes 52

More homes 54

Affordable homes 80

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Per cent


94% local area agreements prioritised new and/or affordable housing targets, fewer than a third prioritised existing stock


Strategic housing function is not just about new housing


There are more empty homes than people accepted as homeless and in priority need in every region of England

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

Lo

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So

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So

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idla

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No

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Numberaccepted asbeing homelessand in priorityneed (07-08)

Long termPrivate sectorvoids (07-08)


Over half a millionhouseholds in England

are overcrowded

There is potential to have a great impact in other areas, councils have statutory responsibilities

There are 4.8 million non decent homes in the private sector,

1 million of these are in the private rented sector


Funding and regulatory changes reinforce need for good strategic housing function

• Councils without local investment strategy agreed with partners will not secure funding and support from Homes and Communities Agency

• Comprehensive Area Assessment will assess how well housing is contributing to councils’ and their partners’ ambitions for their area

.


Funding, regulatory changes and the recession reinforce need for good strategic housing function

• Although councils directly commit only small proportion of the money spent on housing in their area, need to influence markets and funding flows as well as deliver services.

• Those with the best established housing strategies will be best placed to weather the recession; those without, risk being left further behind.


Model of good delivery

A good strategic housing function:

• is based on a vision for housing in the area that is consistent with broader place-shaping ambitions;

• is well informed and understands local housing needs and markets;

• has effective housing partnerships/relationships;• uses regulatory powers as well as influence; and• has skilled and competent staff.


Model of good delivery


Good practice examples

• Salford City Council made use strategically of powers to regulate the private rented sector

– Selective licensing– Resulted in better quality and better managed accommodation

• London Borough of Southwark – worked with National Fraud Initiative

– Identified illegal tenancies releasing social housing units back into renting pool



• Thanet district council

• used supplementary planning policy– restricted development of 1-bed flats to reduce density

• worked with Kent County Council & neighbouring authorities– campaign to bring back empty homes back into use, 530

to date



• North Somerset Council– partnership working with different council

departments, external partners including private landlords to improve housing for vulnerable young people, especially care leavers– alignment of resources to achieve objective– number of young homeless halved in first year– sustained housing pathways for 90% of care

leavers


Recommendations for councils

• Articulate publicly a clear vision for the role housing can play in your area:

– Based on good evidence– Consistent with other local strategies, e.g. SCS, LDFs– Agreed with a wide range of partners– Underpinned by implementation plans– Regularly reviewed in light of economic, environmental and social

change


Recommendations to councils (2)

• Work with their partners to:– Gather information about housing needs and housing markets which

is relevant to, and of adequate quality for, the decisions they need to make, and presented in a way that decision makers can understand;

– Use this information to look at trends in supply and demand for market areas beyond the local authority administrative boundary

• Continuously review their own land and property holdings, and those of other in the area

• Review use of regulatory powers• Review and develop joint working to enhance capacity

Products from the study

BriefingsDecision making guideDelivery chain guidancePartnerships questionsPresentationCase studiesCD-rom


It’s not just about houses it’s about building better lives


Thank you for listening

ANY QUESTIONS?

[email protected]

www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/localgov/buildingbetterlives

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/localgov/buildingbetterlives

Building Better Lives Getting the best from strategic housing Janet Williams – Senior Research...

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