Issue - meetings

This report introduces the Draft Tenancy Strategy 2024 which replaces the previous Tenancy Strategy approved by Cabinet in 2018. The Draft Tenancy Strategy 2024 sets 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.

Discussion:

Officers informed the Committee that the material change to the Tenancy Strategy was that Medway Housing Tenants would receive a secure tenancy in the majority of circumstances as opposed to flexible tenancies in the previous strategy.

Members requested that the Diversity Impact Assessment be updated as some of the officer names were out of date.

Members raised various queries which officers responded to:

Difference between Family Intervention Tenancy and Demoted Tenancy – Officers agreed to seek clarification and respond outside of the meeting.

93.5% of council owned properties meeting Decent Homes Standard – Officers explained that the figure was always lower at the start of the year, some homes would get new bathrooms and kitchens throughout the year and some tenants did not want work done although all steps were taken to try and complete required works.

Number of Anti-Social Behaviour complaints and how these were dealt with – Officers agreed to provide Members with data on this.

Number of households receiving benefits – Officers committed to providing a briefing note showing how many households were claiming benefits and measures taken to assist them back into the workplace.

Tenancies for Key Workers – Officers explained that social housing cannot be provided for key workers but other options were being explored.

Cap on the cost of adaptations for vulnerable tenants – Officers explained that the same general principles for the Disabled Facilities Grant were applied to the cost of adaptations in social housing with an upper limit of £30,000, however decisions were made on a case by case basis.

Decision:

a)    The Committee agreed that the Draft Tenancy Strategy 2024 proceeded to Cabinet with a view to approval in October 2024. The Draft Strategy was attached as appendix 1.