Service Manager (Housing Team) to report.

The Committee received an update on Housing from the Service Manager (Housing Team).

The Service Manager (Housing Team) highlighted the following:

·         There were currently 24 rough sleepers in North Devon, 4 of whom had no local connection to North Devon.

·         The Freedom Centre had seen an increase of people approaching them.  They were currently seeing 65 people a day at the Freedom centre for food, not all of these were homeless people, which highlighted the difficulties being faced by people.

·         There was an increase in single homelessness with a priority need.

·         75 units of temporary accommodation currently being used, 25 of those single homelessness.

·         The priorities that were being seen where from those suffering with physical or mental health issues.

·         The reasons for this increase had been identified as a result of changes in the social care system.  A change in thresholds meant more people were not meeting the supported accommodation threshold but still met the priority needs threshold and therefore became the Council’s responsibility to accommodate.

·         There was lack of socially rented properties available to move those in temporary accommodation to and this blockage meant fewer temporary placements were available.

·         The cost of private rentals in the area were significantly higher than the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate.  For example, the cost to rent a room in a shared house was £550 to £650 per month whereas the LHA rate for such a property was only £425.

·         This deficit in people being able to afford private rental meant they were remaining in temporary accommodation longer as the Council had accepted a duty to house them into suitable long-term accommodation.

·         Further changes that would have an impact on the need for single person accommodation were due to take place regarding the contract with Devon County Council for those living in supported care.

·         As of March 2025 DCC would be ending funding to supported accommodation.

·         The reduced budget of £500,000 was to be shared amongst the 8 districts in Devon with Local Authorities bidding for funding from this budget.

·         Ways to distribute this funding fairly were being looked at.  One possibility was basing funding on the number of people who had approached the Council for help with housing. 

·         Rental reforms were proceeding for Royal Assent and this would mean the end of section 21 no fault evictions, however current landlords’ had concerns over this and would be looking to sell their properties.

·         A lot more people were in debt, low-income workers struggling to live would be unable to find a new rental based on their low income.

·         Devon Home Choice currently had 2300 live applications on their system.

·         There were 4800 properties with Social Landlords in the area but only 250 vacancies in a year so only 11% of people on the Devon Home Choice list would be rehoused within a year.

·         The majority of properties being requested, 51%, were for one bed properties.

·         The Council was in communication with local landlords looking to lift age restrictions.  Most single person properties were limited to those over 55 or 65 years of age.

·         Clearsprings, who were employed by the home office, managed refugee resettlement.  The type of property they secured for this purpose was Houses in Multiple Occupation.

·         Mears were a similar company but employed by the MOD for those refugees who had a connection with the armed forces.

·         There were currently 2800 refugees in transit accommodation in Pakistan and other parts of the UK.

·         The NHS were looking for accommodation for overseas staff working in the area.

·         There were now increased demand for housing for 18 year olds leaving care.

·         Early prison releases beginning in September 2024 would affect the housing needs in the area especially as HMP Exeter was nearby.

In response to whether this type of update could be provided as a written report, the Chief Executive explained that normally it would be but as so many changes were coming through at the moment a verbal report was the only option.

The information presented today could be made available to Members and emailed to them.

The Committee noted the update.