Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing presented a report on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) estimates, rents and other related charges for 2021/22, and the available HRA resources within the context of the 30-year Business Plan.

The Cabinet Member advised that 2021/22 was the second year in which the Council was able to increase rents since the Government imposed the 1% rent reduction policy on all providers of social housing from April 2016. It was proposed that rents increase by CPI + 1% from April 2021, resulting in an average HRA rent increase of £1.44 per week, from £95.76 per week to £97.20 per week.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree that rents for all general needs secure, affordable and sheltered housing accommodation be increased by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) (September 2020) of 0.5% + 1%, from the current average of £95.76 per week to £97.20 per week;

(ii)  Agree the following service charges for tenants:

(iii)  Agree that charges for heating and hot water increase by CPI (September 2020), as follows:

(iv)  Agree that the above charges take effect from 1 April 2021; and

(v)  Agree the HRA Investment in Existing Stock Capital Programme of circa £30.494m for 2021/22, together with the commitment of circa £6.06m for 2022/23 to enable My Place to commence design and procurement arrangements, as detailed in Appendix 5 and paragraph 4.4 of the report.