Agenda item

To consider a report from the Director for Communities, a copy is attached as item 8.

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Communities copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as Item 8.

The report before the Sub-Committee was to inform members that the Director of Communities had undertaken a diagnostic review of the Council’s housing stock (Adur Homes) and its compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s standards. A number of gaps in compliance had been identified and the council has as a result referred itself to the Regulator.

The report identified the areas that required improvement and set out the process Adur Council would undertake, in partnership with the Regulator, to improve performance and meet the required standards.

To support the required changes there were proposed changes to the Adur Homes Management Board membership, a new set of interim policies and procedures for Adur Homes for comment and agreement and details concerning the development of an improvement plan.

Members’ approval was sought to extend three housing strategies / policies and to set out a roadmap to renewing those strategies as part of the above improvement plans during 2023/24, including the:

? Housing Strategy: Enabling communities to thrive in their own home” 2020-2023;

? Temporary Accommodation Placement and Procurement Policy, and

? Community Homelessness Strategy 2017-2022

Members discussed the report before them and welcomed the self referral as an important step to drive forward improvements. Members were keen to stress that consultation with tenants and leaseholders should be an important part of plans moving forward.

Decision

The Adur Sub Committee of the Joint Strategic Committee

i) Noted areas of non compliance with social housing standards and endorse the decision to refer Adur Homes to the Housing Regulator.

ii) Approved the time scales for bringing an improvement plan to the Adur Joint Strategic Committee Sub-Committee and requires further updates on progress from the Director for Communities.

iii) Approved the new and revised policies and procedures for Adur Homes attached in Appendix 1 and to delegate authority to the Director for Communities to make minor amendments to these policies and procedures as required, in consultation with the Adur Homes Management Board, tenants and leaseholders.

iv) Approved changes to the Adur Homes Management Board membership and require the Board to provide progress updates to the Joint Audit and Governance Committee on a quarterly basis.

v) Updated the Joint Audit and Governance Committee on the decision to refer Adur Homes to the Housing Regulator and recommend to the Committee the proposed changes to the Housing Board and to consider the revised interim policies and procedures.

vi) In relation to Adur Housing Strategy Roadmap, the Adur Sub Committee of the Joint Strategic Committee:

? Agreed to extend the following strategies/policies until the end of March 2024:

? Housing Strategy: Enabling communities to thrive in their own home” 2020-2023 to March 2024;

? Temporary Accommodation Placement and Procurement Policy; and

? Community Homelessness Strategy 2017-2022

vii) Noted and agreed to the roadmap for the development of the new strategies / policies during 2023/24, which will be reported back to the Adur Sub Committee of the Joint Strategic Committee in January 2024.

Call-in

The call-in deadline for the decision will be 5.00pm on Friday 17 March 2023.