1. Housing budget consultation for 2017/18

2. What we’ll cover today What is the HRA?
2016/17 Budget (the starting position!)
How we have consulted and savings achieved last year
2017/18 Budget:
Challenges
Proposed savings
What do you think?

3. What is the Housing Revenue Account (HRA)?
Contains the income and expenditure relating to the council’s social landlord duties – that is the management and maintenance of approx 11,650 council homes and 2,700 leasehold properties.
Ring fenced account governed by much legislation.

4. Revenue Income Budget 2016/17 £’000

5. Revenue Expenditure Budget 2016/17 £’000

6. Capital Investment Programme 2016/17 £’000

7. Examples of consultations…
Asset Management Strategy
Service Improvement Groups (eg Home Group on capital programme)
Core Group - repairs contract and budget; planned works
Leaseholders
Redesign of the landlord service - staff and residents
STAR survey - quality of home, neighbourhood
Income service review – support for tenants
Universal Credit focus group and one-to-one interviews
Seniors housing service review - independent and community living
But, we also use assessments of condition of your homes

8. Feedback from previous consultations
Increase supply – safe weathertight, energy efficient homes
Increase support- prevention, sustainment, well-being
Increase quality – safe neighbourhoods
Improve satisfaction – while ensuring value for money
Need new build – affordable housing
Downsizing
Tackle housing fraud
Energy efficiency
Money advice and support - welfare benefit changes
Disabled adaptations
Keep community grants
Digital inclusion – don’t leave people behind
Fire safety
Internal decorations
Increase security
Brighton & Hove standard
Neighbourhoods, place to live
Improve communications, use of ICT and website – ‘make it easy to…’
VfM – contract management and reduce cost per unit

9. Savings of £1.323m already made – 2016/17
Included:
Service redesign - £321,000
Responsive Repairs contract - £300,000
Gas contract - £93,000
Support Services Costs - £129,000
Agency costs, consultancy, supplies - £220,000
Intensive Housing Management Service Charges - £105,000

10. 2017/18 budget Starting basis is 2016/17 budget
Review services and identify savings and any additional costs
Consult stakeholders

11. Impact on income from government legislation
1% rent reduction this year and next 2 years
Benefit Cap – max £20,000 a year. Approx 80 tenants losing £50 - £115pw, may lead to higher rent arrears
Universal Credit – 85% of current claimants in arrears compared to 25% on Housing Benefit

12. Proposed legislative changes yet to be confirmed
Pay to stay – possibly from April households earning over £31k pay up to market rents depending on income. Possible increase arrears and/or increase RTB
Sale of high value assets - difficult to assess implications at this stage but likely to lead to loss of homes/cash

13. Proposed savings for 2017/18
Recover maintenance and servicing cost for new door entry systems to improve security
Work more efficiently to reduce running costs
Review contracts for possible savings
Car parks and garages review

14. Capital investment on your homes Should we spend more or less than 2016/17?
Do you think we have we got the balance about right? A) Yes B) Not sure C) No

15. Do you think we have we got the balance about right?
Vote Now
Do you think we have we got the balance about right? 1.
Yes 0% 2.
Not sure 3. No
Vote Trigger

16. What do you think?

17. Your help please your views from groups chats
Ideas for saving money to reinvest
2. Ideas to increase income
We’ll also use

18. Housing & New Homes Committee
Process after today
Area Panels
Housing & New Homes Committee
Other committees
Feedback on today:
24 November to
6 December
Budget report:
18 January   
9 February
Policy, Resources & Growth Committee
23 February
Full Council