North Norfolk Housing Strategy 2012-2015
(Making Best Use of the Existing Stock)
Foreword
The Council has set itself an ambition that ‘everyone in North Norfolk should
have the opportunity to buy or rent a decent home at a price they can afford,
in a community where they want to live or work’.
The first part of the North Norfolk Housing Strategy 2012-15 (Housing and
Infrastructure) sets out the approaches to supporting new housing
development. New homes are however only a small part of the existing
housing stock in North Norfolk and this document therefore considers how we
can use the existing stock more efficiently and effectively.
Whilst this is a challenging agenda there are some clear opportunities as
outlined below to strengthen our approach and ensure the best use of the
existing stock is made:
Consider how to use the flexibilities of the Localism Act to maximise
the number of households with a housing need who are housed
through the housing register which have strong connections to North
Norfolk.
Determine discounts for empty homes and second homes and
premiums for empty homes.
Using loans to support residents to undertake essential maintenance to
their homes
Using enforcement where appropriate and necessary to ensure
standards in the housing stock and reduce the number of empty
homes.
The actions outlined in this document are ambitious but realistic. We have
brought together a range of possible interventions that will allow us to be more
proactive in making best use of the existing housing stock.
We will undertake a review of our processes, develop new partnerships and
seek to be flexible and innovative in our approach.
Introduction
Purpose of document
This document is the second in a suite of three that will be developed and
which together will outline the Council’s strategic approach to housing to meet
our ambition for North Norfolk.
This document focuses on delivery against the Council’s Housing and
Infrastructure priorities as outlined in the Corporate Plan, in particular the
priority to reduce the number of long term empty homes. The document will
be supported by a Housing Enforcement Policy, Housing Renewal Policy,
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Empty Homes Policy and Allocations Scheme and includes the following
sections:
Background
Housing Conditions
Ensuring the existing affordable housing stock is used appropriately
Occupancy
Meeting the housing needs of local people
Meeting the housing needs of disabled people
Action Plan
Background
The Council has a statutory duty to meet housing need and the effective use
of the existing housing stock is an important component in meeting need.
There are approximately 52,000 dwellings in the North Norfolk district of which
76% are owner-occupied, 12% privately rented and 12% affordable housing.
Less than 1% of dwellings are in public ownership.
Housing conditions
The Housing Act 2004 places a duty on housing authorities to take
appropriate (enforcement) action, from a prescribed range of notices and
orders in certain circumstances such as where a Category 1 hazard exists as
defined by the Housing Health and Safety System. In North Norfolk, most
Category 1 hazards relate to excess cold, dampness and mould, fire and risk
of fall on steps or stairs. The Council also has the power to take similar action
in respect of Category 2 hazards. The Council’s Enforcement Policy will
outline the Council’s approach to fulfilling the Council’s duties and also the
use of discretionary powers in respect of dwellings identified as having
Category 2 hazards.
There is no statutory scheme entitling owners of properties in disrepair to
financial assistance to remedy the disrepair. The Council has the power to
decide what, if any, assistance it will give to residents in the district to address
housing conditions. The details of any assistance to be provided will be set
out in the Housing Renewal Policy which will include proposals for grants,
loans or other forms of assistance.
Ensuring the existing affordable housing stock is used
appropriately
12% of the existing housing stock is owned by Registered Providers and
Housing Associations. The Council will work with these landlords to ensure
their stock is suitable to meet the needs of households in housing need. The
Council is undertaking a review of its Allocation Scheme to ensure the most
appropriate use of the affordable housing stock is made which will include a
review of the housing register.
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The Council will seek to maximise the funding provided by the Homes and
Communities Agency to Registered Providers to provide new affordable
housing and where proposals for such funding include the need to dispose of
existing affordable housing the Council will work with the Registered Providers
and the Homes and Communities Agency to achieve the best possible
outcomes for North Norfolk.
Occupancy
Overcrowding and under-occupancy
The District Wide Housing Needs Survey undertaken in 2006/07 identified that
less than 1% of households in the area were living in overcrowded housing
(where a household has less bedrooms in their home than their assessed
need). A significant number of households (43%) however are underoccupying their home (where the household has more than one spare
bedroom). The survey showed that owner occupiers, particularly those with no
mortgage, are more likely to be under-occupying their home whilst tenants in
affordable housing are least likely to be under-occupying their home although
tenants in privately rented accommodation are more likely to be overcrowded.
Most households are reluctant to downsize to alleviate under-occupation
particularly owner-occupiers. Under-occupation will not be a problem for most
occupiers but it can become a problem if the occupier cannot afford to
maintain and heat their property or if the property becomes inaccessible due
to disability or infirmity. The forthcoming Welfare Reforms will result in
working age households who under-occupy their affordable home having their
assistance with rental costs reduced and this may trigger a need to move.
The need for such moves will be considered through the review of the
Allocation scheme.
Overcrowding can result in a number of issues including poor health,
household tension (potentially resulting in domestic abuse/relationship
breakdown) and poor educational attainment. Overcrowded households,
where appropriate, will be given priority for housing through the North Norfolk
Your Choice Your Home scheme. There are a very small number of
properties in the affordable housing stock with four or more bedrooms in
which larger families can be housed. It is unlikely that the Council will support
the further development of such properties due to the Government’s Welfare
Reforms and the risk of not being able to secure a tenant who can sustain the
tenancy and therefore consideration will have to be given as to how such
households can be supported to manage within the most suitable
accommodation available.
Empty Homes
As at July 2012 there were 51,419 chargeable dwellings for Council Tax
purposes and of these 887 were identified as being long term empty (i.e. not
occupied and empty of furniture for at least 6 months). The Council has
developed a more proactive approach to bringing empty homes back into use,
the Draft Empty Homes Procedure at Appendix A sets out the actions the
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Council will take and the support which will be available to owners to bring
their properties back into use. The Council is in the process of formalising its
monitoring and reporting arrangements on empty homes through the
development of the Empty Homes Policy.
Second homes
As at July 2012 of the 51,419 chargeable dwellings for Council Tax purposes
4796 were identified as being second homes (i.e. not permanently occupied
but with furniture) and receiving a 10% discount. A significant number of
these properties will be used as second homes or holiday homes, however
some will not be occupied at all.
Houses in Multiple Occupation
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are properties that are occupied by
persons who do not form a single household and where there is a degree of
sharing of facilities. National research has found that some of the very worst
standards of accommodation are found in HMOs and that certain HMOs
present significantly greater health and safety risks to tenants than
comparable single occupancy dwellings.
The Housing Act 2004 introduced mandatory licensing of HMOs to provide
greater protection for the health, safety and welfare of the occupants of
HMOs. Licensing seeks to provide proper enforcement of the Housing Health
and Safety Rating System in the highest risk HMOs and ensure the ‘fitness’ of
those managing HMO accommodation.
There are only a very small number of licensable HMOs in the North Norfolk
district, there are however, a significant number of non-licensable HMOs
which are equally of concern to the Council and an inspection programme has
therefore been developed based on the level of risk an individual property
poses to ensure that these properties are inspected at least every 5 years.
Meeting the housing needs of local people
The Council has a statutory duty to have an Allocation Scheme which
determines how affordable housing in its area will be allocated. The Council is
currently reviewing its Allocation Scheme to utilise the flexibilities offered
through the Localism Act 2011. The Council will be seeking to maximise
opportunities to house people in housing need with strong links to the North
Norfolk area through residence, family connections or employment.
The Council adopted its Tenancy Strategy in March 2012 which sets out its
approach to how the new flexibility for affordable housing providers to issue
fixed term tenancies should be used. Affordable housing providers must have
regard to the Council’s Tenancy Strategy when they develop their own
Tenancy Policies on how and when fixed term tenancies will be used and how
they will be reviewed.
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Meeting the housing needs of disabled people
The Council has a statutory requirement to provide Disabled Facilities Grants
to eligible applicants to enable them to adapt their home. This requirement
relates to applicants regardless of the tenure of their home although the
applicant has to have an intention to remain in their home for a period of 5
years. The need for adaptations is assessed by the social services authority
(Norfolk County Council). The Council provides a Disabled Facilities Grant
service providing grants of up to £30,000 to adapt properties to enable
households to be stay in their own homes.
The Council operates the Independent Living Scheme with Victory Housing
Trust, allowing Victory tenants to have access to adaptation works without
having to make a Disabled Facilities Grant application, the scheme also
provides equipment and assistance in moving to more suitable
accommodation.
The Council is also working with Norfolk County Council to develop an
Integrated Housing Adaptations Team based at the District Council with
officers from the District Council, County Council and Home Improvement
Agency working alongside each other using streamlined and customer
focused procedures.
Action Plan
The enclosed Action Plan is an improvement plan detailing specific actions
which will deliver an improved use of the existing housing stock.
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Making Best Use of the Existing Housing Stock Action Plan
Actions
Review the Allocations
Scheme.
Review to include:
Review of local
connections
Review of and use of
Local Lettings
Agreement
How to make best
use of existing
affordable housing
stock – including how
to respond to
overcrowding and
under-occupation to
address Welfare
Reform impacts
Outcome
New Allocations
Scheme
Timescale
Lead Officer
1 January
2013
Housing
Services
Manager
Number of
households with
a housing need
with strong
connections to
towns and
villages in North
Norfolk housed
through scheme
is maximised.
Best use of stock
is made and
address
imbalances in
stock and need
Housing Conditions
Develop a Housing
Renewal Policy which
sets out the range of
assistance available to
residents to improve
dwelling condition
Report to
Cabinet
5 November
2012
Housing
Services
Manager
Develop a Housing
Enforcement Policy
setting out the Council’s
approach to ensuring
housing standards in
the district
Report to
Cabinet
15 October
2012
Housing
Services
Manager
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Occupancy
Under-occupation
Work with the Benefits
Manager to review the
policy and procedures for
the allocation of the
Discretionary Housing
Payments budget
To enable
tenants affected
by Welfare
Reforms to
sustain their
tenancies until
suitable
alternative
accommodation
can be secured
thus preventing
homelessness
1 January
2013
Housing
Operations
Team Leader
To improve the
health and
wellbeing of
residents
1 January
2013
Housing
Operations
Team Leader
Report to
Cabinet
Autumn 2012
Housing
Services
Manager
Overcrowding
To encourage housing
associations/Children’s
Services to assist large
households to make the
best use of the property
they occupy or will be
moving to (to include
subdivision of bedrooms
to give privacy and
storage solutions to
maximise space)
Empty Homes
To consider how the
Council can use the new
flexibilities introduced
through the Local
Government Finance Bill
in applying discounts and
premiums to owners of
empty properties
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To develop an Empty
Homes Policy which sets
out the Council’s
approach to empty
homes and is supported
by the Empty Homes
Procedure
Report to
Cabinet
15 October
2012
Housing
Services
Manager
Meeting the housing needs of local people
Review the services
delivered by the
Housing Options Team
and the Economic
Development Team
and consider how
applicants in housing
need can be
supported to access a
wider range of housing
options and to have
aspirations to improve
their circumstances
through engagement
in economic activity
To maximise use
of the existing
stock
1 April 2013
Housing
Services
Manager,
Housing
Operations
Team Leader
and Economic
Development
Manager
1 October
2012
Housing
Services
Manager
1 October
2012
Housing
Operations
Team Leader
Reduce
worklessness
Increase
aspiration
Meeting the needs of disabled residents
To review the
operation of the
Independent Living
Service
To maximise use
of the existing
stock
To improve the
health and
wellbeing of
disabled residents
To continue to work
towards the
establishment of the
Integrated Housing
Adaptations Team in
North Norfolk
To maximise use
of the existing
stock
To improve the
health and
wellbeing of
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disabled residents
Monitoring and review
The delivery of the strategy (Making Best Use of the Existing Housing Stock)
and progress against the action plan will be monitored on a regular basis by
the Head of Economic and Community Development. The actions will be
reflected in the relevant Service Business Plans and appraisals of individual
officers and formally reviewed on an annual basis. In addition progress
against the actions which are also included in the Corporate Action Plan
2012/13 will be reported to Cabinet through the Performance and Risk
Management Board. Any issues affecting the delivery of the strategy will be
considered by the soon to be established Housing Working Party.
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Appendix A
Draft Empty Homes Procedure
This procedure sets out the actions the Council will take in order to bring
empty homes back into use.
The Council will consider on a monthly basis a list of homes which have been
empty (unfurnished and unoccupied) for a period of at least 6 months and will
consider on a monthly basis what action is required from the following
procedure:
Send an initial letter requesting details of the owner’s intentions for the
empty property.
Send a second chasing letter if no response is received from the initial
letter.
Send a third chasing letter if no response to the initial letters.
Suspend consideration of further action if response to first, second or
third letter shows owner is taking action to bring property back into use
in reasonable period. (Suspension of between 3 and 6 months based
on the condition of property, longer suspension period can be used on
case by case basis.)
Visit property to ascertain condition of property and impact of empty
home on neighbours and neighbourhood.
Send enforcement letter if no response from owner (or where timescale
for return to use is not reasonable) advising if owner does not respond
providing details of how property will be returned to use enforcement
action will be taken.
Take appropriate enforcement action (see Enforcement Policy).
Where properties are identified through contact with owner as being
incorrectly identified on the Council Tax system, the Council will liaise with the
owner to correct the information held.
Support to Owners
The Council will offer advice and support to owners to assist them in bringing
empty homes back into use. This support will include:
Information pack on renting property, support to rent property
including through advertising through the Your Choice Your
Home scheme (fee applies).
Advertising of property for sale through Empty Property
Matching Service
Provision of financial assistance to bring properties back into
use as set out in the Empty Homes Policy.
Monitoring and Review
The number of empty homes will be reported quarterly, along with the number
of empty homes at each stage of being brought back into use as set out in this
procedure.
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