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Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
To approve a Tenancy Policy for Cambridge. |
Matter for Decision: To consider the tenancy strategy.
Decision of
Executive Councillor for Housing:
The Executive
Councillor resolved to:
i.
Approve the Tenancy Strategy for Cambridge subject to the revision of the
wording to paragraph 5 of the strategy (changes underlined.
'The Council
itself, through its own new-build programme, has demonstrated to the Homes and
Communities Agency that 80% of market rents in the City would be unaffordable
to most people on the Housing Register, and that rent levels should be around
65% of market rents and close to Local Housing Allowance rates. The
Council would like to see other Registered Providers negotiating towards a
similar position - to ensure some parity of Affordable Rent levels across the
City, and to ensure that rents remain as affordable as possible.'
Reason for the
Decision:
As per the officer
report
Any alternative
options considered and rejected:
Not Applicable
Scrutiny
Considerations:
The committee
received a report from the Head of Strategic Housing regarding the Tenancy
strategy.
The committee made
the following comments on the report
i. Significant concerns were raised about
any interference with the principle of secure tenancy, and the implications for
communities if short terms tenancies were introduced.
ii. The importance of ensuring that rents
were affordable was agreed. Concern was expressed that the document appeared to
only state that 65% target rents was an aspiration on new build programmes, and
not the entire sector. The Executive Councillor re-assured the committee that
the section was a guide.
iii. The affordability of rents over 65% was
strongly questioned. The Executive Councillor acknowledged the concerns raised
about the affordability of rents over 65%, but suggested that it would be
possibly more appropriate to set the target as a fixed percentage below local
housing allowance.
iv. Clarification was requested on the
reference to the assumption with regards to secure tenancies on page 60 and 61
of the committee report. The Executive Councillor acknowledged the concern, and
explained that policy applied to all providers in the city but that it remained
the preference of the city council that other providers provided secure
tenancies.
v. In response to a question, the Housing
Strategy Manager explained that was a requirement of the Localism Act for the
city council to introduce a tenancy strategy.
Following
discussion regarding the appropriateness of the wording with regards to the
target rent for the present stock, it was agreed to delegate agreement on the
wording to Chair, Spokes and Executive Councillor. The revised wording for
paragraph 5 is listed in the decision text.
The Scrutiny
Committee considered and endorsed the recommendations in the report by 4 votes
to 0.
The Executive
Councillor for Housing approved the recommendations.
Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive
Councillor (and any dispensations granted)
N/A
Publication date: 20/08/2012
Date of decision: 28/06/2012