Policy Forum 1: The Local Authority strategic role – how can Local Authorities be agents of change?

Policy Forum 1: The Local Authority strategic role –how can Local Authorities be agents of change? Chair: ALISON BREESE CIHSE Policy Officer and Council Member STEVE PARTRIDGE Director of Financial Policy & Development, CIH/ConsultCIH ANDY STANIFORD Housing Strategy Manager, Brighton & Hove Council

Policy Forum: LA Strategic Housing RoleChallenges and opportunities CIH South East Conference 3rd March 2010 Steve Partridge

Introduction The Strategic Housing Role Where have we come from and what is it now? Funding, government and policy Challenges and barriers Key messages: sustainability and partnerships

History: from bandings to place shaping… Statutory housing function A decade ago Housing Strategies emerging Bandings indicated success and good practice Business planning and ‘Fit for Purpose’ Focus on the document…? Focus on funding towards landlord issues and social housing Recent history -> place shaping Housing – not just social housing Communities & places – not just houses Serving people – providing more for more people

The Role: housing and place shaping Place shaping is the: “… creative use of powers and influence to promote the general well-being of a community and its citizens.” “The local authority strategic housing role is made up of the strategic decisions and activities associated with effective planning and delivery, in order to meet the housing needs of all residents across all tenures. Strong performance in this role will support effective place shapingand help ensure delivery of the wider sustainable community.” *Sir Michael Lyons 2007

The role… Use vision, leadership, planning and delivery at a strategic level to: Assess and plan for the current and future housing needs of the local population across all tenures Make the best use of the existing housing stock Plan and facilitate new supply Plan and commission housing support services which link homes to the support and other services that people need to live in them Work in partnershipto secure effective housing and neighbourhood management on an ongoing basis

… to deliver … and the need to perform Delivery New supply Good quality existing stock Economic gain (sub-national review) Community cohesion Sustainability (environment & social) Services to support people in housing Performance Local performance framework Comprehensive Area Assessment National targets Regional priorities

Delivery and performance: mixed picture? Audit Commission: “Building Better Lives” Challenges in delivering an effective strategic housing role New supply vs existing housing Responding to the recession Positive practice: CAA green flags Eg Birmingham – Working in partnership to meet housing need, Poole – Housing development and meeting the needs of residents, Blackpool – Tackling homelessness, Croydon – Economic partnerships for future prosperity, North Yorkshire – Helping older and vulnerable people to keep their independence Audit Commission inspection of Strategic Housing function a key driver to improved delivery and effectiveness

Funding: how bad is it? Pre-budget report projections for 2009/10 Position… Continues into 2010/11 Gap closes from 2011/12 as taxes rise and expenditure falls

Timetable for recovery… Not until 2015/16… PBR commits borrowing to reduce to 5.5% of GDP in 2013/14 – debt still rising at the end of next CSR cycle Golden Rules…? PSND Public Sector Net Debt PSNB Public Sector Net Borrowing

Mixed for landlords; challenge for strategic Mixed picture (1): Short term ‘gain’ and longer term ‘pain’ The pre- and post-April 2011 prospects Mixed picture (2) Capital: directly affects national borrowing and debt Efficiencies and savings Cost of finance and availability of grant funding Revenue: a longer term prognosis Rental growth (but HB critical) A better deal for council housing For Strategic Housing: capital and revenue constrained equally

Impact for strategic housing Staffing and resources Already under-resourced in many areas Requirement for good evidence base SHLAA / HMA etc Contracting out and getting it right Total Place Minority of funding controlled via local authority Need for partnerships Could run in opposite direction Public, private and voluntary organisations pooling resources

Future policy directions? Realities of the recession Domination of economic conditions Emphasis on restoring growth and mitigating recession impact Wider ‘priorities’ take a back seat Fundamentals remain as benchmark Housing not public priority - ironically Focus on recession-related social issues and ‘Housing plus’ Urgent need to build… something somewhere! New funding models: public equity, private investment New products: shift to intermediate and private rented The new ‘normal’ for housing…

The new ‘normal’ for housing Local authority strategy and delivery (co-ordinating and facilitating funding) Co-operative and mutual Renting is part of the solution: need more options Private rented sector investment and incentives Flexible tenure Mobility between tenures Asset building for renters Green homes

It doesn’t matter who’s in power ‘Financial constraints’ always win ‘Localism’ always wins But differences of emphasis If regional tiers are disbanded, issues remain… Capacity, inconsistency, risk of distortion in supply, where are the sticks and problems of politics and transition? ‘Sub-regional’ always wins Moving away from national politics to national agencies Single conversations (or equivalent) across wider areas

Barriers Politics and professional expediency not always matched Public opinion and professional expediency not always matched Challenges in making it work: then the recession Strategic Housing as a professional career direction But there are core skills which need greater recognition Absence of a good, live (real time), evidence base What is happening locally and how it is changing Officers need support: especially given lack of seniority in many cases Getting partners to see beyond their own professional / business interests Direct and short term

Overcoming barriers Greater understanding (all levels) of importance of the strategic housing role Resources (IDeA) available to support councillors More robust ways of working with communities Developing a collective vision; Connecting communities initiative Professional support and development networks Eg IDeA community of practice Champions at different levels; working links between departments Detailed understanding of LA and partners’ roles Clarity about resources Technology and intelligence GIS and integrating in-house knowledge Drawing on partners knowledge, tracking changes and awareness of their priorities A senior lead for an essential strategic service

Partnerships and ‘collective thinking’ LA Strategic Housing Role is a Partnership Role Co-ordinating evidence and policy Delivery via partners Glass Half Empty Resource constraints lead to… Reduction in numbers and status Retrenchment from partners: it’s all too hard Glass Half Full Recession drives partnerships to greater co-operation and co-ordination to deliver greater value Consolidation of regional reforms and/or different government could drive joint working locally and sub-regionally

Summary: key messages Plurality and diversity of provision Sub-regional working Leadership and capacity critical Boosting the role and the function Partnership Resources and delivery

Contacts Steve Partridge Chartered Institute of Housing and ConsultCIH Octavia House Westwood Way Coventry CV4 8JP 07968 354948 steve.partridge@cih.org steve.partridge@consultcih.co.uk

The Local Authority strategic role – how can Local Authorities be agents of change?Housing & Health Andy Staniford FCIH Housing Strategy Manager Brighton & Hove City Council t: +44 (0)1273 293159 e: andy.staniford@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Brighton & Hove 250,000 people in 120,000 homes High property prices and low incomes Non-decent housing across all tenures, primarily affecting the vulnerable 22,000 households (≈1:5) in the city have someone with a support need High proportion of homelessness around mental health and physical disability issues

The Housing Strategy: A Partnership • Housing Strategy 2009-2014:healthy homes, healthy lives, healthy city • A new approach to the strategy: • Moved from local authority to joint LA & Local Strategic Partnership • Housing & Support Working Groups (Older People & LGBT People) • Student Housing Strategy • Phased consultation to increase engagement • Health Impact Assessment by Primary Care Trust

Housing & Health: The Shared Agenda • Supporting People • Joint Strategic Needs Assessment • Comprehensive Area Assessment • Total Place Determinants of Health

Health Impact Assessment • World Health Organisation definition of HIA: • ‘A combination of procedures, methods and tools to judge the potential effects of policy, plan or project on the health of a population and the distribution of these effects within the population’ • HIA provides decision-makers with recommendations to maximise health gains and minimise potential adverse effects on health and well-being

Brighton & Hove Health Impact Assessment • Approach: • review of the national evidence base (WHO four-layer model) • consultation and questionnaire involving stakeholders and local people • workshops involving Housing and Public Health Staff • review of the Private Sector House Condition Survey • review of the draft housing strategies • Ensures our housing objectives make an active contribution to improving health and well-being and reducing inequality

Evidence of Cause: housing quality noise, damp, repair needs homelessness home accidents anti-social behaviour lack of support Evidence of Effect: mental health (particularly depression) physical health impact on different groups Interventions: Lack of primary research although there are interventions recommended in reviews by NICE, WHO and GOSE Overall: Evidence to show how housing needs create health needs Limited research/evidence to show that resolving housing needs improves health A common sense approach? Health Impact Assessment Main Findings

Outcomes • Health recommendations in the new Housing Strategy • Improved understanding between health and housing • Joint working: • Public Health directorate now joint with Council and PCT • Public Health representation on LSPs Strategic Housing Partnership • Housing now member of PCT led JSNA Steering Group (and sub groups) • PCT joining Single Homeless Steering Group • New Housing Health Inequalities Steering Group with membership from housing, social care and health • Challenge: • Evidencing health improvements from housing interventions to inform joint commissioning

Audit Commission Research • “Building Better Lives: getting the best from strategic housing”, Audit Commission, Sept 2009 • Adaptations • Spending £2,000-£20,000 on adaptations to support an elderly person at home can save £6,000 per year in care costs • Housing Support • Every £1 spent on support can save £2 on health, tenancy failure, crime and residential care

CIEH / BRE Health & Housing Calculator • South East Region: • Falls and excess cold: • >33,000 incidents each year • Likely NHS cost ≈£212m • Cost to remedy ≈£53m • Damp, entry by intruders and overcrowding: • Likely NHS cost ≈£46m • Cost to remedy ≈£155m

Inside Housing / CIH

The Housing Strategy: Making a Difference • Over the lifetime of this strategy we would like to achieve: • Improving the quality of council housing up to the Decent Homes Standard, improving energy efficiency and regenerating deprived areas • A balance of support and enforcement to tackle social exclusion, anti-social behaviour and improve quality of life • An Accessible Housing Register of adapted and wheelchair homes • More affordable housing, particularly family housing • All new homes built to Lifetime Homes Standard and 10% of all affordable housing built to the wheelchair standard • Support being provided to around 4,000 people every year to help them maintain their independence • Improved access to inclusive housing and support services for vulnerable people

The Region’s Challenge • Effective housing and support services improve the health of local people. • How much additional pressure would be placed on health and care economies if housing and support services were reduced? • What is the potential for the health and care economies to make future savings through targeted expansion of housing and support services?

Thank You for Your Time Housing Strategy Team, Brighton & Hove City Council, 4th Floor Bartholomew House, Bartholomew Square, Brighton, BN1 1JE t: +44 (0)1273 293055 f: +44 (0)1273 293168 e: housing.strategy@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Policy Forum 1: The Local Authority strategic role – how can Local Authorities be agents of change?