Decision - Expenditure of the 2007/2008 Private Sector Housing Renewal Grant Allocation and Amendments to the Council's Housing Renewal Assistance Policy

(1)   That the following be approved:

1       Expenditure within Brighton & Hove of £2,776,000 of the 2008/09 BEST Housing Renewal Grant allocation in accordance with the council’s Housing Renewal Assistance Policy (as amended), with provision to carry over any part of this amount to the following and/or future financial years;

2       Such expenditure to be targeted on the various forms of assistance identified as Policy Tools in the Council’s Housing Renewal Assistance Policy, and/or in accordance with the approved Home Safety and Security initiative and other relevant approved programmes;

3       Payment of the remaining £2,397,000 of the £5,173,000 Housing Renewal Grant allocated for the 2008/09 Brighton & Hove East Sussex Together (BEST) programme to the five East Sussex authorities in accordance with an agreed distribution profile.

4       Expenditure of £440,000 of Brighton & Hove’s 2008/09 BEST Housing Renewal Grant allocation as a 40% local authority contribution to match fund the government’s contribution towards Disabled Facilities Grants or other relevant works under the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 and expenditure of the £660,000 government contribution to this programme.

(2)              That the following amendments to the council’s current Private Sector Housing Renewal Assistance Policy be approved;

5       Eligibility for Decent Homes Assistance and Decent Homes Loans to be extended to include provision for the repair or replacement of any building component that is in a condition of substantial disrepair, and/or provision of one or more of the ‘modern facilities and services’ specified in the Decent Homes Standard in accordance with the provisions set out in this report;

6       The maximum limit on Decent Homes Assistance to be increased from £25,000 to £50,000 (or 50% of the equity, whichever is the lesser);

7       Amendment of the required minimum period for ownership and occupation by the applicant prior to the date of application from one year to six months for the purpose of Decent Homes Assistance and Decent Homes Loans;

8       The maximum limit on Decent Homes Loans to be increased from £15,000 to £20,000 and the minimum age requirement for Interest Only and Interest Roll-up Loans to be set at 60, with provision for amendment in accordance with any future changes to the relevant lending criteria;

9       Eligibility for Common Parts Assistance and Common Parts Loans to be extended to cover the cost of appropriate repairs or replacement of any key component(s) of the common parts of the building that is(are) in a condition of substantial disrepair in accordance with the provisions set out in this report;

10   Amendment of the required minimum period for ownership and occupation by the applicant prior to the date of application from one year to six months for the purpose of Common Parts Assistance and Common Parts Loans;

11   The maximum limit on Common Parts Loans to be increased from £15,000 to £20,000  and the minimum age requirement for Interest Only and Interest Roll-up Loans to be set at 60, with provision for amendment in accordance with any future changes to the relevant lending criteria;

12   The levels of grant available through Empty Properties Assistance to be increased in accordance with the provisions as set out in this report;

13   Removal of the eligibility deadline for HMO Licensing Grants to enable landlords who have purchased licensable properties since the original deadline to be eligible for an HMO Licensing Grant;

14   Extension of the scope of HMO Licensing Grants to enable the provision of amenities beyond the council’s HMO Licensing Standards in relevant cases, and provision for the maximum limit  of grant to be increased appropriately to facilitate this;

15   Amendment of the Landlords Minor Heating Grant to include provision of grant-aided energy efficient central heating as an incentive to landlords served with improvement notices not to install inefficient electric heating systems;

16   Amendment of the Landlords Minor Heating Grant to include installation of a gas supply and meter in cases when this is necessary and to increase the maximum level of grant to cover the reasonable cost of such works.

17   Amendment of the Landlords Minor Heating Grant to enable accredited landlords to obtain assistance for the replacement of old or defective central heating boilers.

18   Amendment to the HMO Energy Innovation Grant scheme to extend it to all relevant licensed HMOs;

19   A new Temporary Accommodation Energy Innovation Grant to provide assistance for energy efficiency measures in private sector properties used as temporary accommodation for homeless households;

20   A new Temporary Accommodation Adaptations Grant to be created to provide assistance towards the cost of including wheelchair accessibility and/or other appropriate adaptations to properties leased to the council for the accommodation of homeless households;

21   Amendment to the Disabled Facilities Assistance scheme to widen the scope of  assistance provided in accordance with the provisions as set out in this report;

22   The maximum limit on Disabled Facilities Assistance to be increased from £25,000 to £50,000(or 50% of the equity, whichever is the lesser)

23   Amendment of the Occupiers Minor Adaptations Grant to enable certain types of straightforward adaptations to be carried under this scheme (subject to confirmation of changes to relevant funding arrangements);

24   Provision for the payment of Land Registry search fees from Housing Renewal funding;

25   Provision for an allocation of up to £20,000 per year during the period 2008/2011 for marketing and promotion of the various forms of Housing Renewal Assistance in the Housing Renewal Policy.

26   Provision for future amendment of the Housing Renewal Assistance Policy to be delegated to the Assistant Director of Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing.

27   It is recommended that the Cabinet Member for Housing approves 1 October 2008 as the commencement date for all of the amendments to the Housing Renewal Assistance Policy specified in this report.

1. The recommended proposals set out in this report will enable the council to deliver an important programme of private sector housing renewal. This will help to maximise the council’s ability to enable private sector residents to live in homes that are decent, energy efficient, in reasonable repair and adapted to the needs of disabled occupiers.

1.                 The main alternative to the proposals for amending the council’s Housing Renewal Policy would be to maintain the present policy as it is.

2.                 Experience of operating the current policy as it stands indicates that taking no action would result in a major shortfall of expenditure under the programme, particularly bearing in mind the increased indicative allocations for 2009/10 and 2010/11.