Agenda item

Officers presented an update report which provided a summary of the key performance outturn for 2012/13 and detailed the current housing pressures being faced regarding rising housing need and homelessness and the key priorities in place for 2013/14 aimed at directly tackling the rising statutory homeless pressures.

The level of statutory housing need and homelessness has risen dramatically during recent years, predominantly in response to complex economic factors and the ensuing impact on housing markets.

Early indications from both housing association temporary accommodation providers and private landlords and agents are that they are reluctant to continue to work with the Council to take referrals when universal credit is introduced due to the increased financial risk in terms of no longer receiving benefit payments direct. In many cases, providers are asking for an increased risk share from the Council or increased management fees in order to continue to provide temporary accommodation.  This means that the, already falling, local supply of temporary accommodation and suitable private rented housing is likely to fall further placing further strain on Council budgets.

Officers reported that the department had lobbied Lord Freud about this issue and had a further meeting with him where it would be raised again.

Members queried whether tenants could be given a month to pay the rent themselves and if that fails the payments revert to going direct to the landlord.  Officers agreed to raise this issue.

To support the new social housing fraud act, the Government has also made additional funding available for local authorities to tackle social housing fraud. Bromley has successfully bid for £200K over the next 2 years to work with Greenwich fraud team and housing association partners to tackle any incidents of social housing fraud in their stock within the borough, thus ensuring best use of the available stock to meet housing need.

In relation to fraud Members asked if Bromley had any of its own fraud officers.  An officer explained that at present the team had one manager and two officers based in the Greenwich fraud team (covering Bromley).  However, all officers were being trained to identify potential fraud cases which would then be passed to the Greenwich fraud team to investigate.

A further report outlining the incidence rates for fraud would be presented to a future meeting of the committee.

In relation to the “bedroom tax” Officers reported that it was too early to tell what the overall impact would have on the team’s workload, although there had already been an increase due to concerns on the bedrooms issue and the benefit caps.

The committee commended the housing team on their work under such difficult circumstances.

RESOLVED that:

1.  the performance against the key priorities in the 2012/13 Portfolio and work plans for these service areas is noted.

2.  the priorities as set out in paragraph 3.4 for 2013/14 in response to the current housing pressures being experienced as detailed in the body of this report are noted.

3.the proposal to draw down of the successful grant funding bid of £200K over the next 2 years to work with housing associations with stock in the borough to tackle social housing fraud is supported.