Housing Services Service Area Responsibility Housing Strategy & Regeneration Private Sector Housing Housing Options Benefits Service

Housing Strategy & Regeneration Key Work Areas Production of Housing Strategy. Policy appraisal and development. Research on housing market needs and aspirations. Consultation with stakeholders on strategic housing issues. Housing & Neighbourhood Partnership. Working with Registered Providers to deliver affordable housing. Bidding for resource allocations. Completion of Government statistical returns on housing.

Housing Strategy & Regeneration Key Work Areas Continued Housing led regeneration schemes at Mandale, Hardwick, Parkfield and Swainby Road. Affordable Homeownership Service, including Time2Buy Home Agent and in house products such as equity loans and rent to buy. Sub regional working through Tees Valley Unlimited. Growth Point Programme.

Private Sector Housing Key Work Areas Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy and policies. Disabled Adaptations. Private Sector Housing Standards. Empty Homes Initiative. Financial Assistance Packages. HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) standards. Statutory Nuisance. Licensing of private rented sector in low demand areas and HMO’s. Landlord Accreditation Scheme.

Housing Options Key Work Areas Housing Advice and Homelessness Services. Homelessness Strategy. Youth Homelessness Strategy Steering Group. Provision of emergency accommodation. Sub Regional Choice Based Lettings. Single Gateway Scheme. Homeowner Specialist Advisor. Multi agency public protection co-ordination and protocol. development for housing vulnerable people. Housing needs framework. Management of Travellers Site.

Benefits Service Key Work Areas Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Administration. Home Visiting Service. Recovery of overpayments. Counter Fraud Work. Reconsiderations, Appeals Tribunals. Benefit Take Up. Discretionary Housing Payments. Support and Maintenance of service specific IT systems.

Key Achievements in 2010/11 Housing Strategy & Regeneration Successful large scale voluntary stock transfer of 10,200 Council homes. Worked in partnership with Registered Providers to deliver 161 new affordable homes in the borough. Worked with Fabrick Housing Group to secure £2.46m from the Homes and Communities Agency to develop a £5.7m 42 unit Extra Care Scheme in Thornaby. 100 households assisted into homeownership in the borough through Time2Buy between April 2010 – February Continued to progress housing led regeneration schemes with around £250m private/public sector investment over 10 years.

Key Achievements in 2010/11 Private Sector Housing 1992 clients provided with advice and assistance from the Home Improvement Agency. Received almost 2,000 enquiries/referrals across the service which led to 6,700 visits and actions taken. Increased the number of properties accredited under the Landlord Accreditation Scheme to almost 600. Improved 146 private sector properties through the Private Rented Toolkit. Provided assistance to almost 100 clients to improve their homes from their own financial resources.

Key Achievements in 2010/11 Housing Options Provided housing options advice to over 3,000 clients. 42 vulnerable households housed with appropriate support have sustained their tenancies for more than six months. Delivered advice to 445 households with mortgage/rent arrears with the intention of helping them to remain in their own home.

Key Achievements in 2010/11 Benefits Service Cumulative average for time taken to process new benefit claims and change events in 2010/11 was 9.6 days (Target 11.2 days). 100% of all rent rebate claims were successfully converted to rent allowance claims by first payment date following stock transfer.

Emerging Issues and Priorities in 2011 and beyond Increase in caseloads across the service as a result of the recession Challenges with housing supply and affordability New Housing Regeneration Schemes at Swainby and Victoria Changes to social housing – rents, funding New approaches to S106 agreements. Funding for Disabled Facilities Grants Changes to Local Housing Allowances from April Welfare Reform Bill & impact on HB Corporate Project work – e.g. Learning Disability EIT review