Agenda item

[Pre-Decision Scrutiny on the Draft Private Homes Strategy]. 

The Director for City Housing and the Service Manager for Private Sector Housing gave a presentation on the draft Private Homes Strategy 2019-2024. 

The Service Manager for Private Sector Housing commented that the draft strategy had not yet been received by Cabinet and it was therefore a pre-decision scrutiny item.  She wanted the Panel’s input to help shape the policy.  In Wolverhampton there were 108,000 dwellings, 56% were owner occupied and 27% social rented.  In 2001 the Census had shown 7,000 private rented houses which had nearly doubled by 2011.  A recent BRE Stock condition survey of the private rented sector had shown the figure was now at 18,000.  By 2020, if not before, it was expected that the private rented sector would have more dwellings than in any other rented housing sector.  As the private sector was now significantly larger than previously and on an upward trajectory, it was important for it to have its own strategy. 

The Service Manager for Private Sector Housing stated that under the new Homeless Reduction Act, the Council was having to discharge its duties by using the private sector, as social housing was depleted.  There had been an increase in houses in multiple occupation (HMO).  This was down to migration into the City, welfare reform, single person allowance and universal credit.  Properly managed and regulated HMOs was crucial.  Fire Safety was very important which included ensuring the safety of people in high rise private homes. There was a mandate to improvement safety following Grenfell and guidance was continuing to be issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).  Much of the guidance was regarding the Local Authority ensuing high rises in the private sector were safe.  Fire risk assessments were completed in HMOs when employees from the Council visited, as fire was the biggest risk to the safety of the occupants. 

The Service Manager for Private Sector Housing remarked that each year, they brought approximately 200 empty homes back into use in the Wolverhampton area.  The £500 incentive scheme which had operated for the last three years had proved very successful in engaging people.  Sometimes compulsory purchase orders were undertaken.  They targeted houses that had not been in use for over ten years but were also being proactive targeting housing that had not been in use for a short-time to help prevent them falling into long-term disuse.  Wolverhampton Homes administered housing assistance for the City, providing disabled facilities grants, affordable warm grants and small works assistance grants.  These initiatives helped to keep people living well and independently in their own homes for longer.  A scrutiny review on fuel poverty was planned in the future. 

The Service Manager for Private Sector Housing said that the Council had to follow national policy.  There was nationally mandated HMO licensing and the definition had changed last October.  Since October there had been an additional 100 HMO license applications which had all been inspected. There were now 230 licensed HMOs in Wolverhampton.  Instead of just completing reactive work, where it had become clear that some people didn’t feel able to complain, proactive intelligence based enforcement now took place.  On enforcement work they worked closely with the Fire Service, Police and the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership.  They operated a zero tolerance approach to criminal landlords.  Local Authority Officers could issue civil penalties for certain offences under the Housing Act. They could fine up to £30,000 per offence.  It was important to consider the consequences of enforcement action on occupants as they wanted to avoid them being evicted by Landlords.  Collaborative working with other council departments and external organisations was key to helping occupants. 

The Service Manager for Private Sector Housing stated that the five-year strategy aimed to improve the condition of the private rented sector, which included ensuring tenants knew of the responsibilities of their Landlords, the reduction of category 1 hazards and targeted interventions such as minimum energy efficiency.  They were considering introducing additional licensing where there were the highest number of problems, which could include area-based licensing.  Engagement was the preferred method before enforcement action was taken.   

The Service Manager for Private Sector Housing commented that they were the first local authority to implement a star rated scheme for private rented properties and landlords.  This had helped to improve properties and to sustain people living in properties for longer.  It was now an integral part of the Private Sector Housing Service and was being updated further.  It was pleasing that other Councils had expressed an interest in purchasing the model.  Part of the strategy included new private homes growth.  An Equalities Impact Assessment and further consultations would take place in the future on the draft strategy.

Members of the Panel raised the subject of HMOs.  The Private Sector Housing Manager confirmed that they were looking to introduce additional licensing requirements.  These extra requirements would give them more powers to understand where the HMOs were located in the City.  A Member commented that he was pleased to see the authority were taking HMOs seriously and that enforcement action had been taken.  He was concerned that the increase in HMOs in the City was more than the Council had the resources to effectively ensure oversight over, particularly as HMOs were on an upward trend.  The location of some HMOs caused him concern. They expressed support for the overall direction of the draft Private Sector Housing Strategy.  The Director for City Housing commented that it would be easy to be overwhelmed with HMOs.  It was therefore critical to have robust data and data insight so resources could be effectively targeted.  Intelligence led and robust overarching policies would help manage some of the difficulties with HMOs in the City.  It was an area which would have to be kept under review.

A Member of the Panel asked if the figures for HMOs had been impacted on by the increased popularity of Air Bed and Breakfasts, Bookings.com and renting rooms within houses.  The Service Manager for Private Sector Housing responded that when the legislation had been written for HMOs, Air Bed and Breakfasts had not been established.  The definition of a HMO was that rent or other consideration was payable and it had to be the main or only place of residence.  Air Bed and Breakfasts were slipping through the net as they did not fall under current housing legislation.  It was a topic that was coming up nationally, regionally and locally, as to how they should be treated, for instance whether they should be classed as hotels.

A Member of the Panel stated that as part of the strategy there was land available for 9,000 homes.  He asked if this allocation of land was part of the Black Country Core Strategy.  The Director for City Housing confirmed this to be the case and the City Planning Officer could provide more detail about the specifics. 

A Member of the Panel asked about whether there was a commercial opportunity for the Rent with Confidence scheme maintenance services to be offered to private landlords.  The Service Manager for Private Sector Housing confirmed that there was a commercial opportunity and they were going to launch a Facebook page for the scheme in the near future. 

A Panel Member commented that it was important to ensure good links of communication between planning, housing and building control, to ensure that the law was being adhered to.  The City Director for Housing agreed that joint working was important, there were some gaps in legislation, which made it all the more critical to work collaboratively. 

A Member of the Panel asked for an update about some of the issues and concerns he had with reference to the Core Joint Strategy.  He had particular concerns about his ward - Wednesfield North and surrounding areas. The City Director of Housing said she would speak to her colleagues in Planning and ask for them to provide some information to the Panel at an appropriate meeting of the Panel in the future. 

A Panel Member stated that it was important that Members of the Public knew how to report issues of concern about housing and that they could be assured confidentiality would be maintained. 

A Member of the Panel commented that car parking was a real issue outside some HMOs, citing Ashmore Park in Wednesfield as an example.  The Council had to be mindful of this consideration when licensing them.  

The meeting closed at 8:40pm.