Agenda and minutes

To issue a welcome to those present, and to confirm if there are any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received by Cllr Modhwadia, Cllr Joshi attended as substitute. It was noted that the Regulator of Social Housing representatives were in attendance online.

Members will be asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed.

The Chair asked members of the commission to declare any interests for which there were none. 

The minutes of the meeting of the Housing Scrutiny Commission held on 7^th January 2025 have been circulated, and Members will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Chair highlighted that the minutes for the meeting on 7 January 2025 were included within the papers and asked members for comments.

          AGREED:

•         It was agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 7 January 2025 were a true and accurate record.

The Chair is invited to make any announcements as they see fit.

The Chair updated the commission on the site visit to Saffron Lane, which took place on 6 February 2025. She noted that the visit gave members the opportunity to view the early stages of the development. This visit was the final one in the series of highlighted sites scheduled for the commission's visit.

The following representation has been submitted by Mr S. Raja:

1. Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) & Compliance

2. Fire Safety Concerns & Transparency

3. Right to Buy (RTB) Delays & Complaints

4. RTB Lease Pack Charges & Accountability

5. Impact of RTB Sales on Affordable Housing Supply

6. Estate Management & Housing Services

The following representation was submitted by Mr S. Raja.

1. Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) & Compliance

2. Fire Safety Concerns & Transparency

3. Right to Buy (RTB) Delays & Complaints

4. RTB Lease Pack Charges & Accountability

5. Impact of RTB Sales on Affordable Housing Supply

6. Estate Management & Housing Services

In Mr Raja’s absence, the representation was taken as read. The Director of Housing provided a summary response, and it was noted that:

·       The full, written response was to be sent to Mr Raja in due course.

·       All council-owned blocks of flats have a Fire Risk  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Any petitions received in accordance with Council procedures will be reported.

It was noted that none had been received.

This briefing provides an update to the Commission on Leicester City Council’s succession, change of name and sole to joint and joint to sole policies and gives an overview of the legislation which needs to be followed.

The Director of Housing submitted a report to set out Leicester City Council’s succession policy and to give an overview of the legislation that undergirds this policy.

It was noted that:

·       Succession occurred when a qualified individual took over the tenancy of a deceased tenant. This process did not require permission from the council or a formal application.

·       Under the 1985 Housing Act, family members who had resided in the property for at least 12 months before the tenant’s death were entitled to succession. However, the Localism Act 2012 amended this provision, limiting automatic succession rights to spouses or partners only.

·       The council’s policy on succession had not been reviewed since 2020 due to the pandemic and other factors. Therefore, it retained the old position of permitting other family members to succeed in a tenancy.

·       The succession procedure in the council had been to assess the suitability of the surviving family member who meets the succession criteria, to continue to live on the property. Where the property was deemed unsuitable, the council assisted with relocation to a more appropriate home.

·       The succession policy also contained specific guidelines on changes from sole to joint, and joint to sole tenancies.

·       When a bereaved family member occupant was deemed not to have the right to remain on a property, conversations about relocating them would be challenging and sensitive. This ensured the Council approached such discussions with empathy and understanding.

·       Notices were generally served no more than 6-12 months following the tenant’s passing.

·       The future options for the council to explore were whether to adopt an automatic right of succession or allow officers to exercise discretion based on individual circumstances.

·       A key consideration in formulating the succession policy was to encourage communication regarding succession rights to the council’s tenants, particularly when they were adults who were dependent on care.

In response to questions and comments from Members, it was noted that:

·       The council did not have the authority to grant succession; it occurred automatically when the legal criteria have been met.

·       Where an individual was unlawfully occupying a property, the council was entitled to charge mesne profit, which was the equivalent of the rent that would have been payable on the property. In such cases, the council could also work with the occupant to review their other rights and explore alternative housing options, which could lead to them being relocated to a more suitable property.

·       The council tried to prevent homelessness as much as possible. Therefore, if an occupant was not qualified to succeed, they would normally be allowed to remain on the property until they are rehoused.

·       If a decision was made against a tenant’s succession claim, they would have no legal right to appeal.

·       Rehousing rightful tenants was not done through direct let, eliminating the need for tenants who were waiting to be rehoused to join a waiting list.

·       The council’s policies were expected to align with the legal frameworks on succession, and best practice was to review every 3-5 years.

·       In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

This report provides an update to the Housing Scrutiny Commission on the formation of a Divisional Engagement and Communication Strategy for the Tenants and Leaseholders who live in properties owned and managed by Leicester City Council.

The Director of Housing submitted a report which provided an update on the formation of a Divisional and Communication Strategy for the Tenants and Leaseholders who live in properties owned and managed by Leicester City Council. 

The Deputy City Mayor introduced the item, and it was noted that:

·       Previously, the infrastructure that existed in the local authority and VCS was far larger and there were far more active tenant associations in the city. Unfortunately, years of austerity, budget cuts and the Covid pandemic fundamentally eroded them.

·       A key complaint faced was that tenants had not been able to contact their housing officer. The role of the housing officer had evolved to meet the increasingly complex needs of tenants which meant that the service had changed as well.

·       The Council recognised the role they needed to play in responding to tenants.

·       Tenancy engagement was first discussed 18 months ago. The Council wanted to provide a more consistent offer that allowed equal opportunity for engagement.

·       Engagement sessions had begun last year. Out of these had come clear messages from tenants which had led to the development of the pop-up Housing offices. Further work was needed to build on what had been started and to use the good practises found and this was to form a bigger piece of work moving forward.

The Head of Service presented the report, and it was noted that:

·       The report provided an update on the strategy and structures that were being put in place which would allow tenants to scrutinise the Council, including the Tenant Engagement Strategy. 

·       It was highlighted that this was a journey to improve engagement, and success was to be measured by tenant satisfaction.

·       The first Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) occurred in 2023. This showed that 40.2% of tenants felt that they were listened to, and 46.8% thought that they were kept informed on important issues.

·       The tenants were asked for their preferences, and alongside this were conversations in a pre-engagement process with tenants, the Tenancy Management Team and Neighbourhood Housing Officers.

·       6 engagement sessions occurred across the city, either on or near council housing estates in September 2024. The sessions provided a representative sample of tenants through face-to-face conversations and surveys. The methodology used attempted to capture the views of as many tenants as possible. However it was recognised that some demographics may not have fed into the pre-engagement period. It was hoped that these demographics would be captured as the engagement progressed.

·       54% of the respondents wanted service updates by email or text and 23% via phone.

·       Respondents wanted more information on repairs, a means for contacting their housing officer, and concerns were raised on the difficulty of getting through via phone lines.

·       For future engagement with the Housing Division, the majority of respondents were in favour of in-person events, community events or the use of surveys.

·       The Social Housing (Regulation) Act received Royal Assent in July 2023 which granted more powers to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). This allowed a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

This report provides an update to the Housing Scrutiny commission setting out the progress on the delivery of the Housing Crisis actions, following the declaration of a Housing crisis on 24^th November 2022.

The Director of Housing submitted a report to update the commission on progress made on the delivery of the Housing Crisis actions. It was noted that:

·       The capacity of the Council to respond to housing needs had been significantly undermined by the introduction of the Right-to-Buy (RTB) scheme. In response to this, the council declared a housing crisis in 2022.

·       This report served as an update to the one presented previously 12 months. It showed good progress had been made on the delivery of the LCC action plan. Of the 16 actions, 11 had been completed and 5 were in progress. Of the actions set out by the Government, 12 were in progress and 4 had been completed. The council remained on track to deliver 1500+ homes by 2027.

·       An additional £500m had been added to the Affordable Housing programme by Government and the council was accessing this funding.

·       In line with its commitment to strengthening private rental sector quality, the council had also made progress on its Private Rented Sector (PRS) strategy, including the introduction of a Selective Licensing scheme.

·       No increase to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) was expected in 2025.

·       The Renters Reform Bill would introduce changes including a national landlord register. Other proposed legislative changes included the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, new rules around holiday accommodation, and changes to council tax on second homes. These changes were expected to have a positive impact. Section 21 was a significant contributor to homelessness, with many affected individuals needing the council for support.

·       The council had provided a strong response regarding the qualification period before RTB. Local authorities would also be able to retain capital receipts from RTB sales.

In response to comments and questions, it was noted that;

·       The national housing allowance had been set at the 30^th percentile of local rents. However, with rising mortgage costs for landlords, rent affordability remained a challenge.

·       Only 3% of the market was affordable for the PRS tenants on low income before the Local Housing allowance uplift in 2024.

·       The Renters Reform bill was progressing through political processes and was expected to be completed in 2025.

·       To meet the city’s housing needs, the council had a well-established programme targeting 1500+ units.

·       The new Local Plan would allocate new housing sites for development and was expected to be completed between late 2025 and early 2026. Work was already underway on sites currently allocated to Housing, and this positioned the council to be ahead of schedule once the Local Plan was approved.

·       The status of the Local Plan was that certain modifications had been agreed upon with the inspectors following the initial examination. There would be further consultations on these modifications.

·       The applicability of changes to the law on section 21 would be to all tenancies, both existing and new.

·       Council tax on second homes would be subject to double council tax. If the property remained vacant for an extended period, the council could charge up to 400% as this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Members of the Commission will be asked to consider the work programme and make suggestions for additional items as it considers necessary.

The Chair invited members to make suggestions, and it was noted that

Maintenance Charges should be included on the agenda for the next meeting, if possible, since it was previously postponed.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 19.39.