Agenda item

The Committee is asked to respond and comment on the update (Appendix A refers) that addresses the recommendations made by Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s Homelessness Task & Finish group on the reducing the impact of homelessness.

The Committee received a report that provided a response and update on actions to address the recommendations as agreed by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s Homelessness Task & Finish group.

Questions Responses and Discussion

The mains points of the discussion maybe summarised as follows:

The Committee:

                 I.          In response to a question raised by Councillor Boyle it was noted that homeless pods are primarily a temporary shelter that can provide a safe space for people experiencing homelessness that should be used as a stepping stone to permanent housing.

               II.          Noted that the Council’s homelessness problem is not really about rough sleepers. Also, the Council has accessed government grant programs and now has five units of ex-rough sleepers’ accommodation in one-bedroom flats that allows someone a two-year tenancy to enable these individuals get on their feet, to learn useful life skills, and to enable to them move on into more permanent housing. That is not to say that the Council has rejected the idea of homeless pods but that officers are looking to identify the most effective use of temporary accommodation.

             III.          Noted that Councillor Heinrich had expressed his concerns that the private rental sector in North Norfolk is shrinking primarily due to a high influx of holiday homes and second residences that compete with long-term tenants for available housing, pushing up prices and making it difficult to find affordable private rentals in the district. This situation is further exacerbated by a lack of new affordable housing development to meet local needs. Therefore, it was suggested that Councillor Fredericks (Portfolio Holder for Housing & People Services) should write to central government, setting out the situation in North Norfolk regarding the private rental sector reducing housing stock levels and the key reasons for the withdrawals and ask central government for action to address the progressive stock loss and help this Council retain and even grow private sector stock levels.

            IV.          Following comments from Councillor Penfold agreed that housing providers are a key partner in the Council's overall homelessness strategy (1) offering readily available housing options for people at risk of becoming homeless, (2) offering supported housing for those with complex needs, (3) sharing data on housing availability, (4) working together to address homelessness in Norfolk.

              V.          Following comments from Councillors Fredericks and Holliday it was understood that the money generated from the council tax premium on second homes would be used to fund affordable housing and homelessness services.

            VI.          Noted that: (1) there are a significant proportion of second homes in North Norfolk; and (2) following discussions with the county council it has been agreed that from 1^st April, 2025 it will set aside 25% of the council tax premium to fund the services for affordable housing and homelessness in the District.

          VII.          Agreed that the Council should make use of this additional money to address the immediate need for temporary accommodation and the wider issues around housing and homelessness in the area.

        VIII.          Agreed that it would be helpful to receive details of the timeline for formalising the benefit that the Council will receive from the second home council tax premium (e.g. invest into land and buildings and refurbishment of long-term empty properties).

             IX.          Following comments from Councillor Fredericks it was agreed that as the government is developing a national strategy to end homelessness it would be sensible for the Council to home (1) their homelessness strategy timeline in line with the that of the governments: and (2) a stratagem based on the money that is available for homelessness.

              X.          Agreed that the Council are challenged to a greater extent because of North Norfolk’s fairly unique rural and coastal nature. Therefore, it is important that (1) the government has an understanding of these particular factors as this will impact on funding the Council will receive in future, and (2) the Council feeds into that process to obtain the most beneficial result for North Norfolk.

            XI.          Following comments from Councillor Penfold noted those further actions and the timescales associated with them which allowed the Committee to (1) track trends over a period of time, (2) identify patterns, (3) accurately assess progress by comparing data points from different time periods; and (4) make the analysis more meaningful and actionable.

          XII.          Noted that when the Council accesses private rented accommodation to house homeless individuals, key issues include: (1) limited availability of suitable properties at affordable prices, (2) concerns about difficulties in vetting landlords and properties, (3) potential for higher costs compared to social housing, (4) challenges in ensuring consistent quality and tenant protections within the private rental market, often leading to concerns about the suitability of the accommodation for vulnerable individuals

        XIII.          Noted that landlords are leaving the rental sector due to a combination of factors including rising costs, stricter regulations, increased taxation on rental properties, particularly from recent legislative changes, and concerns about potential future policy shifts, which are making it less financially viable to remain landlords, especially for the smaller investors.

        XIV.          Following comments by Councillor Penfold it was noted that the homelessness charity Emmaus offer a stable environment with the opportunity to gain new skills and help people to regain any lost self-esteem and confidence, helping them to get back on their feet and create a new future for themselves.

          XV.          Following comments from Cllr Fredericks the Committee noted said that the Council has been working with the East of England Local Government Association (EELGA) to review the effectiveness of the Council’s temporary accommodation provision.

        XVI.          Noted that the EELGA report had highlighted the challenges and the need for housing development which is one of the biggest challenges facing the East of England today, and that more needs to be done to support new development of social housing in the area e.g. resource are needed to enable providers to keep rents low.

      XVII.          Agreed that “Affordable” rent is not affordable for those on low incomes, especially when rent and deposits are needed in advance to obtain a tenancy. In addition, the reform of local government could significantly impact the provision of social housing by altering the funding, capacity, and priorities of the Council potentially leading to a reduction in the development and management of social housing units, due to decentralization or reduced funding for housing initiatives.

In conclusion the:

Chairman Moved and Overview and Scrutiny committee RESOLVED to recommend that:

That the:

1. the Portfolio Holder for Housing & People Services writes to central government, setting out the situation in North Norfolk regarding the private rental sector reducing housing stock levels and the key reasons for the withdrawals and asks central government for action to address the progressive stock loss and help this Council retain and even grow private sector stock levels; and
2. Committee should receive a further report on this subject in July 2025 to coincide with the pre scrutiny of the homeless strategy.