Agenda item

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning/Assistant Director - Partnerships)

The chair welcomed the Portfolio Holder Housing and Planning, the Assistant Director, Neighbourhoods, Jo Sands and the Safer Communities and Homes Manager, Lisa Hall to the meeting to present the report of the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning and the Assistant Director, Partnerships on the Housing Strategy Quarterly Update to December 2023 to update the Committee on actions within the Tamworth Borough Council Housing Strategy to 31 December  2023 which directly impact on health and wellbeing of Tamworth communities.

The Chair handover to the Portfolio Holder who highlighted in reference to a question raised at the last update that was a weekly outreach session at the Sacred Hear tin Glascote may account for disproportionate figure in the area before introduced the Officers, the Assistant Director handed over to the Safer Communities and Homes Manager who highlighted the following information from the report.

Ø  Priority 1 

The Council has just approved the first two First Home properties at the Two Gates site and a further seven properties will be coming thorough at the Coton Lane estate

Ø  Priority 2

The Council have been successful in receiving a grant from the Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) for 13 projects to promote healthier housing and health inequalities.

Around fuel poverty figures from beat the cold have been included.

Beat The Cold were successful in bidding for a £10500 grant but have now declined due to staffing and money has been split amongst other voluntary sector organisations to deliver services/

CHS (Community Homes Solutions) are currently contracted to assist with the HUG project.

COMF funding is going to provide a temporary post of an empty homes officer to focus on bringing some of the 400 empty properties the Council have back in to use which will ease pressure on the housing register.

There are currently 93 HMO’s within the Tamworth.

Damp and mould figures have gone up on quarter 3 which is expected for this period.

A case study has been included around a couple that were suffering with damp and mould in their private rental an were successful in being rehoused within a sheltered accommodation scheme significantly improving their quality of life

Figures for HMO inspections and Council housing repairs have been included.

Ø  Priority 3

4 out of the 4 applications to the ECO4 scheme have been approved.

GBIS (great British Insulation Scheme) has received 64 enquiries.

Ø  Priority 4

Appendices attached provide further information.

DFA and DFG figures attached

The figure for completed cases of 0 indicated cases that have gone through from start to finish during this period, the team approved their first case in December.

Updates on hospital to home and details of COMF funding were also included.

The Committee made the following comments/observations and asked the following questions:

1.     The Committee thanked Officers for the comprehensive report and sharing some good news stories. It was recognised that the outcome of the case study was great.

2.     Clarification around the category under the repairs for ‘jobs awaiting payment approval’?

The Officer clarified that there is a period between invoicing and payment cycle and that is the gap between the two.

3.     With regards to tackling empty homes the Committee asked why empty homes are taking so long to turnaround and whether this needed to be address?

The Officers confirmed that this sits under the Assistant Director, Assets and that she would pass the information on and ask for a response.

4.     The Committee discussed how regularly they need to receive the report moving forward and whether this could be less frequent on the basis that if exceptional items arise these can be bought to the Committee separately?

Officers confirmed that they could bring a report back  to the Committee in July they would have two whole quarter to report  on.