Agenda item

-        Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services to report.

Further to Minute No. 131 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18^th January, 2012, Councillor Akhtar, Deputy Leader, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services, which outlined the proposed response by the Strategic Leadership Team to the Scrutiny Review of the Private Rented Sector, with proposals for dealing with each of the recommendations of the review.

The recommendations made by Members of the former Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Panel were accepted. However, due to the demise of the Housing Market Renewal and Regional Housing Board funding programmes, initiatives previously reliant upon external funding have been deferred whilst a cost benefit analysis was undertaken to establish whether there were sufficient resources to enable them to continue. 

Additional work would need to be undertaken to identify alternative sources of funding to deliver any schemes identified as providing value to the Council.

Continued support would be offered to local agencies that assisted vulnerable adults to access private rented accommodation through the provision of affordable loans, guarantee bond schemes, assistance and advice.

Progress was already being made towards responding to the findings of the review and activity to date included:-

·              The Community Protection Unit (CPU) now charges for enforcement notices served.  All formal enforcement actions were resolved within three months. Over 800 private sector properties have been inspected and were found to be free from Category 1 hazards.

·              Targeted proactive work, focusing on the vulnerable and improving the physical condition of housing stock and management within the private rented sector had been undertaken in some of Rotherham’s most deprived areas i.e. Eastwood, Canklow, Dinnington, Maltby and Ferham.

·              Over 700 clients have been assisted with a rent in advance loan, to help to prevent homelessness and provide access to private rented accommodation, since its introduction in 2007. In this current year, through the provision of loans and bonds, 260 clients have accessed private rented accommodation free from Category 1 hazards.

·              A Carbon Reduction Programme (CESP) was underway in Ferham and this scheme would contribute towards bringing approximately thirty properties back into use and tackle the excessive cold Category 1 hazard present in over 300 private sector properties.

·              Key Choices Property Management managed 160 private rented sector properties on behalf of landlords who required assistance, ensuring an improved quality of accommodation for those accessing the Property Shop requiring housing.

The majority of funding associated with current and future private rented sector activity was concentrated on officer time to enable, inform and assist those providing and accessing private rented sector accommodation. However, since the demise of the Housing Market Renewal and Regional Housing Board funding programmes, there was reliance upon homelessness grant and recycled regional housing board monies to fund loans and support the provision of paper bond guarantees.

There was a risk that insufficient resources, for continued and future activity, needed to meet the recommendations of the review, were unavailable.

Resolved:-   That the response to the Scrutiny Review of the Private Rented Sector be approved.