Issue - meetings

Appendix 6 to the report is in the private section of the agenda at Item 15.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing presented a report on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) estimates, rents and other related charges for 2020/21, and the available HRA resources within the context of the 30-year Business Plan.

The Cabinet Member advised that the Council was able to increase rents for the first time since the Government imposed a 1% rent reduction policy on all providers of social housing from April 2016.  The report proposed that rents increase by the Consumer Price Index (at September 2019) plus 1% from April 2020, which meant that the average weekly rent for a HRA property would rise by £2.52 per week, from £93.35 to £95.87 per week.

Members referred to the investment made as part of the Housing Capital Programme and commended services for achieving the rate of 91% of council homes to the ‘Decent Homes’ standard.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree that rents for all general needs secure, affordable and sheltered housing accommodation be increased by CPI (September 2019) of 1.7% + 1%, from the current average of £93.35 per week to £95.87 per week;

(ii)  Agree the following service charges for tenants:

(iii)  Agree that charges for heating and hot water increase by CPI (September 2019), as follows:

(iv)  Agree that the above charges take effect from 1 April 2020;

(v)  Agree the 18-month Investment in Existing Stock programme at Appendix 5 to the report and the HRA Capital Programme for 2020/21, as set out in paragraph 4.4 of the report; and

(vi)  Agree that the street purchase properties listed in Appendix 6 to the report be appropriated from the General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account, by use of section 122 of the Local Government Act and section 17 of the Housing Act 1985 for the purposes of Part II of the HRA, on the terms set out in section 8 of the report.