The Cabinet resolved to:
(i) Agree that rents for all general needs secure, affordable and sheltered housing accommodation be reduced in line with the national rent reduction programme, from the average of £98.02 per week to £96.35 per week;
(ii) Agree that all new lettings, once a property becomes empty, be set at the target rent (minus 1% for each of the years that rents have been reduced by legislation) or the rent paid by the previous tenant, whichever is the higher;
(iii) Agree that service charges for tenants are frozen at 2016/17 levels;
(iv) Agree that charges for heating and hot water are frozen are frozen at 2016/17 levels;
(v) Agree that rents for stock used as temporary accommodation be set at 90% of the appropriate Local Housing Allowance (LHA);
(vi) Agree that service charges for hostels held in the General Fund are increased as set out in paragraph 2.7 of the report;
(vii) Agree that the above changes take effect on Monday 3 April 2017;
(viii) Approve the proposed HRA Capital Programme for 2017/18 as set out at Appendix 7 to the report;
(ix) Approve the HRA Business Plan as set out at Appendix 8 and the financial assessment at Appendix 9 to the report;
(x) Note the assumptions underpinning the HRA Business Plan which shall be reviewed annually; and
(xi) Approve the proposed commissioning intentions for 2017/18 as set out in Annex 1 to the HRA Business Plan.