Issue - meetings

Members were informed that a review had been carried out of the Council’s shared ownership service. This was to assess whether shared ownership should continue to be part of the Council’s core business within the context of Housing Revenue Account self-financing, and if so whether it should also be offered on the Council’s new developments.

It was recommended that the service be continued, with some improvements, and that shared ownership be offered on new affordable housing developments to cross-subsidise the building of rented units and to help create balanced communities. 

The recommendations were being submitted for approval to the Executive Councillor and Community Service Scrutiny during this Scrutiny cycle. The report to Housing Management Board was for information only.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

To note the report of the Housing Strategy Manager.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

This item was not for pre-scrutiny.

In response to the report Kay Harris requested that a copy of the survey referenced in the report be circulated to Members.

Councillor Price requested confirmation that the percentage of shared ownership would be taken from the private market proportion and not from the Council’s social rented properties on the proposed redevelopment sites as the Council should not lose any more socially rented properties from its portfolio.

Councillor Johnson highlighted page 48, 8.2.4 of the Officer report which read ‘Where a rented property is to be used as a shared ownership property, arrangements should be made for an appropriate replacement rental property to be provided from the shared ownership stock as soon as is reasonably practicable, so that the rented stock is not reduced as a direct result of this policy’. He expressed concern that there could be a significant delay in waiting for a replacement shared ownership property to become available which could equate to an imbalance of stock.

In response to Members’ questions the Executive Councillor for Housing and Officers confirmed the following:

     i.        The rented proportion of social housing would stay firm but the market share could be transferred to intermediate housing. If appropriate for a presently rented house to become shared ownership, it would be the desire of the Council to put shared ownership property quickly back into the rented stock.

    ii.        There were currently no proposals for shared ownership as a part of the social housing provision in the current re-development programme.

   iii.        Referred the Committee to page 47, 8.2 of the Officer’s report, for examples of using existing rented properties as shared ownership. The option would not likely to be used very often but should be available as circumstance required.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.