Agenda item

[To consider the recommendations of the scrutiny review group and the Cabinet’s response thereto]

[NOTE: The Chair of the scrutiny review group has been invited]

The Cabinet received a report on the findings and recommendations of the scrutiny review of Private Rented Sector Housing and the executive response to the report.

Cllr Wendy Thompson, Chair of the scrutiny review group was in attendance for this item.  She briefly highlighted some of the areas that the review had focused on and some of its recommendations, including the use of the Selective Licensing Scheme and action to tackle landlords providing poor quality private sector housing.  She also reported that the private Sector Housing team was small in number but were working well, however funding for the team was of concern. In concluding she commended the review group’s recommendations to Cabinet

Councillor Peter Bilson thanked Cllr Wendy Thompson and the review group for its work.  He reported that Cabinet supported the recommendations in the main and referred to the detailed executive action plan attached to the report.

Resolved:

1.    That the report of the Private Rented Sector Housing Scrutiny Review Group be received and the following recommendations from the review be noted:

R1       (a)       That Cabinet approve in principle the draft ‘Rent with Confidence’ (RwC) campaign (appendix 1 to the review report) as a positive way forward to encourage a more professional private rented sector and allow potential tenants to exercise choice when selecting property and a reliable landlord or agent and ask employees to consult in greater detail.

(b)       That consideration is given to the future resources required to move forward with the ‘Rent with Confidence’ (RwC) campaign and agree the need to implement RwC when resources become available for effective enforcement to help drive improvement in PRS housing in the city.

R2       That a review of the current PRS enforcement policy is carried out with the aspiration to strengthen the processes, make them fairer across the range of landlords, to improve the quality of accommodation in the city, to promote processes and to identify where resources need to be re-aligned or strengthened.

R3       That Cabinet approves Additional Licensing as a mechanism to licence and regulate Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) locally and across the city as an alternative and more cost effective way of addressing problems with HMOs.

R4       That Cabinet gives consideration to tackling problems associated with poor housing standards and overcrowding in inner areas of the City, and to consider the use of Selective Licensing, such as the All Saints Selective Licensing scheme, in other priority areas as identified by the Police and the Housing Standards Team. 

R5       That Cabinet recommend to the Local Government Association that there is a need to regulate letting agencies and to highlight the need to the Housing Minister, Shadow Housing Minister and Parliamentary Select Committee.

R6       That Cabinet note that a response has been submitted to the parliamentary consultation paper relating to property standards in the PRS and the need to consider a reformed approach, taking into account the evidence and findings of this review with regard.

R7       That a Councillor Working Group is established to monitor and review all housing matters, which would give a holistic view of Housing and an early indication of pressures in the City.

R8       That a review of the current Private Sector Leasing (PSL) Scheme is carried out in light of rising demand for PRS housing in the City and consider financial incentives, such as Homes and Communities Agency funding, for encouraging landlords with empty properties to join the scheme.

R9       That Cabinet and Welfare Reform Programme Board agree that the Council and Wolverhampton Homes should work together with landlords to keep people in their homes during the introduction of Universal Credit.

R10     That Cabinet note that DCLG funding for the Housing Options Homelessness Prevention Team ends March 2015 and give consideration of funding options for a five year period to embed changes to benefits.

R11     That Cabinet give consideration to other funding sources to improve PRS Housing in Wolverhampton in relation to the impact of poor housing on children, educational attainment and anti-social behaviour, and that Cabinet further consider the wider impact that not meeting decent home standards has on the most vulnerable residents, mental and environmental health issues, overcrowding, the impact on communities and the financial burden of these implications on the Council.

R12     That Cabinet note that displacement of homeless people was raised as a concern by the Review Group. More evidence is needed to establish the number of cases and the impact on the City more statistical evidence and data.

2.    That the executive response to the review recommendations be approved.

3.    That the Cabinet response be referred to Scrutiny Board to monitor the implementation of actions arising as a result of the recommendations.