Issue - meetings

Background:

The report introduced the Tenancy Strategy 2024 which replaced the previous Tenancy Strategy approved by Cabinet in 2018. The Tenancy Strategy 2024 set out the move away from wide use of fixed term tenancies, which was a material change set out in the 2018 Tenancy Strategy, to a focus on secure tenancies and the use of fixed term tenancies in specific circumstances.

Since the 2018 Strategy, a new raft of legislation including significant focus on tenant satisfaction measures had been brought in by the Charter for Social Housing Residents: The Social Housing White Paper (2020) This, coupled with the ongoing effects of socio-economic conditions stemming from the pandemic and the costs of living crisis in terms of impacts on households and communities, requires that the Strategy is updated.

The report had previously been considered by the Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 August 2024 and its comments were set out in section 9 of the report.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken and was attached at Appendix 2 to the report.

Reasons:

The previous Tenancy Strategy ran from 2018 and the updated Tenancy Strategy 2024, would allow an updated position on tenancies in line with Medway Council’s priorities.