Building Better Lives

1. Building Better Lives Getting the best from strategic housing Janet Williams – Senior Research Manager

2. Why the research?Inspection reports Performance ratings Prospects for Improvement Excellent 1 Excellent 3 23 72 Good Promising 71 Fair Uncertain 32 Poor Poor 17 5 Audit Commission Building Better Lives Source: 112 Strategic Housing inspections to May 2008

3. Sustainable communities Good housing strategy delivers more than just houses • Delivery of housing of right type, in right place & right standard enables sustainability • Reduced incidence of hypothermia, asthma & respiratory illnesses • Reduction in homelessness leads to greater stability for children & higher educational attainment • Sufficient supply of housing, particularly private rented sector, helps support labour market mobility Better public health Good housing Better educational outcomes • Economic development Audit Commission Building Better Lives

4. Research methodology • analysis of existing datasets • outcome delivery chain workshops • telephone survey of 100 local authority chief executives • email survey of Local Strategic Partnerships • analysis of Sustainable Community Strategies for reference to housing • interviews with strategic housing managers, local strategic partnership leads, registered social landlords, developers, planners in 12 fieldwork sites • interviews with other stakeholders Audit Commission Building Better Lives

5. Many councils struggle to grasp the opportunity strategic housing presents • Visions for housing in an area are not always consistent with broader ambitions • Councils are data-rich but information-poor • Housing partnerships/relationships are seldom well developed • Regulatory powers are not used sufficiently • Skilled and competent staff are still in short supply Audit Commission Building Better Lives

6. Even well-regarded councils assessed their own performance as mixed Audit Commission Building Better Lives

7. Objectives of the strategic housing functionAffordable housing is the objective overwhelmingly cited by chief executives, with little mention of housing’s wider contribution. Audit Commission Building Better Lives

8. 94% local area agreements prioritised new and/or affordable housing targets, fewer than a third prioritised existing stock Audit Commission Building Better Lives

9. Strategic housing function is not just about new housing Audit Commission Building Better Lives

10. There are more empty homes than people accepted as homeless and in priority need in every region of England Audit Commission Building Better Lives

11. There is potential to have a great impact in other areas, councils have statutory responsibilities There are 4.8 million non decent homes in the private sector, 1 million of these are in the private rented sector Over half a million households in England are overcrowded Audit Commission Building Better Lives

12. Funding and regulatory changes reinforce need for good strategic housing function • Councils without local investment strategy agreed with partners will not secure funding and support from Homes and Communities Agency • Comprehensive Area Assessment will assess how well housing is contributing to councils’ and their partners’ ambitions for their area . Audit Commission Building Better Lives

13. Funding, regulatory changes and the recession reinforce need for good strategic housing function • Although councils directly commit only small proportion of the money spent on housing in their area, need to influence markets and funding flows as well as deliver services. • Those with the best established housing strategies will be best placed to weather the recession; those without, risk being left further behind. Audit Commission Building Better Lives

14. Model of good deliveryA good strategic housing function: • is based on a vision for housing in the area that is consistent with broader place-shaping ambitions; • is well informed and understands local housing needs and markets; • has effective housing partnerships/relationships; • uses regulatory powers as well as influence; and • has skilled and competent staff. Audit Commission Building Better Lives

15. Model of good delivery Audit Commission Building Better Lives

16. Good practice examples • Salford City Council made use strategically of powers to regulate the private rented sector • Selective licensing • Resulted in better quality and better managed accommodation • London Borough of Southwark – worked with National Fraud Initiative • Identified illegal tenancies releasing social housing units back into renting pool Audit Commission Building Better Lives

17. Good practice examples • Thanet district council • used supplementary planning policy • restricted development of 1-bed flats to reduce density • worked with Kent County Council & neighbouring authorities • campaign to bring back empty homes back into use, 530 to date Audit Commission Building Better Lives

18. Good practice examples • North Somerset Council • partnership working with different council departments, external partners including private landlords to improve housing for vulnerable young people, especially care leavers • alignment of resources to achieve objective • number of young homeless halved in first year • sustained housing pathways for 90% of care leavers Audit Commission Building Better Lives

19. Recommendations for councils • Articulate publicly a clear vision for the role housing can play in your area: • Based on good evidence • Consistent with other local strategies, e.g. SCS, LDFs • Agreed with a wide range of partners • Underpinned by implementation plans • Regularly reviewed in light of economic, environmental and social change Audit Commission Building Better Lives

20. Recommendations to councils (2) • Work with their partners to: • Gather information about housing needs and housing markets which is relevant to, and of adequate quality for, the decisions they need to make, and presented in a way that decision makers can understand; • Use this information to look at trends in supply and demand for market areas beyond the local authority administrative boundary • Continuously review their own land and property holdings, and those of other in the area • Review use of regulatory powers • Review and develop joint working to enhance capacity Audit Commission Building Better Lives

21. Products from the study Briefings Decision making guide Delivery chain guidance Partnerships questions Presentation Case studies CD-rom

22. It’s not just about houses it’s about building better lives Audit Commission Building Better Lives

23. Thank you for listening ANY QUESTIONS? janet-williams@audit-commission.gov.uk www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/localgov/buildingbetterlives Audit Commission Building Better Lives