Issue - meetings

The Deputy Leader presented the report of the Director: Housing, Employment & Infrastructure.

The housing strategy had three objectives, the report set out how the Council delivered against those commitments.

A decent place to live was the foundation for a healthy life and housing was a key priority for the administration. A pipeline of new supported and specialist accommodation had been established to be delivered between 2022 and 2025, helping to drive change locally, but there was more work to be done. This scheme would add value to the Borough’s housing stock whilst also challenging failures in the market.

Initial proposals from the scheme included affordable accessible homes, the acquisition and delivery of sites to deliver for housing needs, and a Telford loan scheme to help people onto the property ladder.

The Council continued to lobby for government funding.

Cabinet Members expressed their support for the report; housing was an exceptionally important foundation for a healthy life.

The Leader of the Conservative group expressed support for the stalled sites programme in particular.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat group welcomed the work being undertaken to facilitate people staying in their own homes.

RESOLVED – that Cabinet

a)         Supports the priorities and initial proposals for the Housing Intervention Fund set out in the Report

b)        Delegates authority to the Director: Housing, Employment & Infrastructure and Director: Finance & HR in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member for Housing, Enforcement & Transport to approve investment of the Fund, subject to business case and enter into any documentation necessary to give effect to the recommendations in this report.