building better lives getting the best from strategic housing janet williams – senior research...
TRANSCRIPT
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives3
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives4
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives5
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives6
Even well-regarded councils assessed their own performance as mixed
Audit Commission Building Better Lives7
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives8
94% local area agreements prioritised new and/or affordable housing targets, fewer than a third prioritised existing stock
Audit Commission Building Better Lives9
Strategic housing function is not just about new housing
Audit Commission Building Better Lives10
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
nd
on
So
uth
Ea
st
So
uth
We
st
Ea
ste
rn
Ea
st M
idla
nd
s
We
st M
idla
nd
s
No
rth
Ea
st
No
rth
We
st
Yo
rksh
ire
an
d
Hu
mb
er
Numberaccepted asbeing homelessand in priorityneed (07-08)
Long termPrivate sectorvoids (07-08)
Audit Commission Building Better Lives11
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives12
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
.
Audit Commission Building Better Lives13
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.
Audit Commission Building Better Lives14
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.
Audit Commission Building Better Lives15
Model of good delivery
Audit Commission Building Better Lives16
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives17
Good practice examples
• 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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives18
Good practice examples
• 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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives19
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives20
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
Audit Commission Building Better Lives22
It’s not just about houses it’s about building better lives
Audit Commission Building Better Lives23
Thank you for listening
ANY QUESTIONS?
www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/localgov/buildingbetterlives