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Housing Strategy

www.wakefield.gov.uk

Good housing in a thriving 21st Century District

2013-18

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ForewordIn the Wakefield Together District Plan the Council and its partners set out their vision for the District.

The new Housing Strategy aims to set out for residents and partner organisations how the Council will work over the next 5 years to deliver on the housing commitments made in the District Plan

These commitments are to:

• Seek to ensure the housing offer in the district meets the needs of our changing and growing population, including older, vulnerable and disabled people

• Work with tenants, landlords and residents to deliver warm, well designed and well maintained homes that people are proud of and able to live in comfortably.

• Continue to work with housing developers to increase the number of homes, including affordable homes.

• Continue to bring empty properties back into use to improve community vitality and the supply of homes.

• Try to achieve “no second night out” for those finding themselves without a home

• Provide more support and advice to improve the financial confidence in households to help tackle poverty

• Work with partners and homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of more homes in the district to help address fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions

An effective housing strategy will help to ensure that these aims are achieved, and this document is about how we will pursue these priorities over the coming 5 years.

We’ll also be producing a new Housing Strategy Action Plan using the targets from this strategy, and reporting back to you via the Council’s website each year on the progress we’ve made.

We have also set up a new email address, housingviews@wakefield.gov.uk so that you can give us feedback on this new strategy, and on other housing issues in our district.

Councillor Mrs Denise Jeffery

Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Economic Growth

“We want Wakefield to be a thriving 21st Century district. A place where everyone can achieve their full potential and where most vulnerable people are protected. We will do this by building and sustaining stronger communities, creating vibrant places and investing in our future to ensure we succeed”

Wakefield Together District Plan 2012-16

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Contents

1. Introduction 4

2. Our challenges and priorities 6

3. Our key housing achievements in recent years 9

4. Some key facts that affect our plans for housing 11

5. More Homes 13

6. Better Homes, Better Places 23

7. Housing Investment: jobs, training and opportunities for business 32

8. Better Homes, Better Health 37

9. Achieving our targets, and Listening, Learning and Reporting Back 49

Introduction

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The Council has made a commitment with its Wakefield Together partners to strive to meet the housing needs

of the district as one of its 5 key pledges in the 2013-16 Wakefield District Plan. But what do we mean by housing need?

There are some things we all need from our homes; safety, comfort and to be able to live in them within our financial means. But we also need to consider:

• Some people need an affordable social rented home

• Some people are looking for a private rented home that’s easy to get and where they can live for as long as it suits their plans

• Some people are looking to buy their first home; others are looking to buy a bigger home as their family grows, or a smaller more manageable home for later in life

• Some people need a bit of help so they can live independently in their home; others need an adapted home and daily care

• Companies need suitable places for their employees to live if they are thinking of relocating to or expanding in the Wakefield district

Most of us move between these situations at different times in our lives. The Council believes that having affordable access to good housing of the right type sits at the heart of residents’ being able to pursue these choices. The Council’s challenge is to do the best it can to help the district’s residents have the kind of home they need.

Verner Street, Featherstone

Sherwood Court, Kettlethorpe

Our challenges and priorities

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Good quality housing not only provides homes for people, but also helps to support employment and

business growth, improves the quality of life in our city, towns and neighbourhoods and improves health and wellbeing.• Housing need continues to grow and changes over time. Perhaps the biggest influences on patterns of housing need are: • Changes to the economy which affect employment• How much people earn• How much businesses invest in new homes• Government’s policies around housing and house building• Funding for welfare, housing and supporting businesses

2.1 Our financial challenges• Large cuts to the funding for councils made by the Government are also affecting how we can help residents and businesses • Going forward the Council must deliver services with fewer resources. As a Council we are facing a budget cut of over £150m between 2010 and 2018. Although good progress has been made so far we still have more work to do to achieve these savings• This challenges us to deliver services in new ways and means and we have to make tough choices, both around priorities and what we will and won’t be able to do ourselves

2.2 Your financial challenges

In the last 5 years:• Pay has fallen on average by £30-£35 a week for full time workers (based on a 40 hour week)

• Costs of living have risen substantially

• Unemployment is higher and young people under 25 are finding it particularly difficult to find work

• Mortgage costs have been historically low, but it is much more difficult and expensive now for first time buyers and other buyers who do not have lots of equity to get a mortgage

• Since 2010 the rents for most new and some existing social housing have been increased to the Government’s new Affordable Rent level, which is up to 80% of local private rents

• Large scale changes to welfare benefits are being implemented by the Government. Restrictions to housing benefit for both social and private tenants are affecting some peoples’ ability to stay in their current homes and adding more pressure to household budgets. These changes have affected around 5,000 social housing tenants and 6,600 private housing tenants so far

• Due to the abolition of Council Tax benefit and cuts made by the Government, the Council has removed the 100% rebate for Council Tax, requiring everyone of working age to pay something towards their bill

Railway Terrace, Fitzwilliam

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2.3 Our key partners’ financial challengesIn the last 5 years:• Reductions to the Government grant for building new affordable homes and the changes to welfare and housing benefit are affecting the income of Registered Housing Providers (RHPs). This is affecting their scope to finance housing projects and deliver services to their tenants

• House building companies have been building less new homes, as people have been finding it much more difficult to get mortgages so sales have fallen. Many companies have developed their own home ownership support products to help people to buy, and keep the supply of new homes moving forward

• The expansion of the private rented housing market has been a positive response to difficult circumstances, offering more places for people to live and preventing new homes standing empty

• Many voluntary organisations have seen their access to grant support reduced, affecting their ability to offer local services at a time when need is increasing

2.4 Looking forward: Our housing prioritiesThis strategy considers the impact of these changes and proposes how the Council and its partners will continue to work towards achieving the right housing priorities for our district. For the next 5 years, our priorities will continue to be:

• More homes

• Better homes, better places

• Housing investment; jobs, training and opportunities for business

• Better Homes, Better Health

Sunnydale, Ossett

Parkdale, Castleford

Our key housing achievements in recent years

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Key achievements1. Bringing sites forward to build 800 new homes in priority regeneration areas and working in partnership with Registered Housing Providers to deliver more than 1,500 new affordable homes.

2. Helping 400 families to stave off the repossession of their homes

3. Launching our Responsible Landlord Scheme with 155 landlords and 2,835 properties now accredited.

4. Completing neighbourhood improvements in the South East

5. Helping owners to get more than 1,000 empty homes back into use

6. Helping 9,500 households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes

Some key facts that affect our plans for housing

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4.1 The number of households in the district is growing faster than the supply of homes• By 2031 we estimate that there will be 42,000 more households in the district

• We would need to build 1,600 new homes every year until 2033 to make sure there are enough homes, but in 2012/13 due to the recession only 534 (net) were built

4.2 Average earnings are not keeping pace with inflation• The average pay (based on a 40 hour week) is around £20,030, a drop of more than 8% since 2007

• The average income of households claiming benefit will be lower by £940 per year or £18 per week in 2015/16 as a result of welfare reforms (excluding London). This excludes the impact of Universal Credit, which is yet to be implemented.

• Youth unemployment is above regional and national rates and is particularly prevalent in ex-coalfield areas

• At the point of the 2011 Census 11,700 people said they were unemployed; of these around 1,900 had never worked and 4,496 people said they were long term unemployed. The highest levels of unemployment were in the Wakefield East area, at 7.9%, and the lowest in Wakefield Rural at 3.2%

Living costs are increasing • In the last 9 years the average household cost for gas and electricity has doubled

• Nearly 20% of people who replied to our recent survey told us that they are struggling with the costs of repairing their home

• In a national survey, more than 50% of people said they worried about being able to pay their bills each month

• The maximum Council Tax benefit is now capped at 70% and all working age people will have to pay towards their Council Tax; As at April 2013 approximately 19,300 people were affected by this change

Poor health and reduced wellbeing is a concern• Around 20,170 of working age people are claiming a disability-related benefit

• Under Welfare Reform changes as at April 2013 around 5,600 working age people have had their benefits reduced because they are judged to have more bedrooms than they need and 95 families have been affected by the new benefit cap of £500 per week for families/lone parents and £350 per week for single people

• There are more people living with dementia, and this number will increase

Our residents are getting older• 56,000 of the 326,000 people who live in our district are over 65

• By 2035 we expect the number of over 65s to have grown by a third

• The number of people aged 90+ has increased by 35% to 2,200 since the Census of 2001.

Homes to meet community needs • There are not enough homes specifically built to meet the needs of people with physical and learning disabilities and autism.

• According to the Council’s local assessment of gypsy and traveller families housing needs, there is a shortfall of 17 pitches over the next 5 years

• There is an increase in the number of people with complex and multiple needs seeking housing and support

Stump Cross Meadows, Pontefract

More Homes

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The district has over 140,000 homes. The majority of homes, 89,000, are owner occupied, with around

35,000 social rented homes and 16,000 homes that are privately rented.

The 2010 population projections estimate that by 2032 there will be an additional 42,000 households in the district, compared to 2010. The number of households increased by 8,198 between 2001-2010, and this trend is expected to continue over the next 20 years.

The Council’s Local Development Framework (LDF) sets out clearly how it will use its land and Planning powers to help ensure that new homes are built in the right number, of the right kind and in the right locations. This will help to meet housing need and demand and to support the sustainability of existing towns. There is ample land identified for housing over the next 10 years. The majority of the 1,600 new homes needed each year to 2026 are to be built in and around Wakefield City, Castleford, Pontefract, Knottingley, Featherstone and Normanton, and 65% of these homes are to be built on sites which are being re-used.

The LDF relies on an assessment of housing need to inform its policies for new homes. In 2015 we will be updating our Strategic Housing Market Assessment, to ensure that our understanding of housing need and the housing market is accurate and up to date. As part of this process

we will continue to co-operate with neighbouring councils to ensure that the plans for new homes complement each other across local authority boundaries.

5.1 The housing market Just over 71% of the homes in the district are in Council Tax bands A and B. The average house price for a Council Tax band A and B property was around £118,000 in 2011.

Owning a home

Nearly two thirds of the homes in the district are owner occupied. The proportion of these owned without a mortgage is increasing due to there being more older owners. Fewer people overall now own with a mortgage as it has become more difficult to access lending recently. House prices across the district vary considerably; some parts of the south east of the district have the lowest average house prices at approximately £103,000, and a similar property in Newmillerdam or Woolley can cost an average of £183,000.

The key issue for buying a home is access to mortgages. In our recent survey 72% of people said the biggest obstacle to buying a home was saving for a deposit. Some would-be buyers are being asked for deposits of up to 20%. The average first time buyer will be about 38 years old before they can buy their first home. Railway Terrace, Normanton

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The first phase of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme will help some buyers looking for their first homes, by offering a Government loan of up to 20% of the price of a new home, meaning the buyers need only find a 5% deposit. There are indications from house builders that the availability of this scheme is increasing sales and property reservations. By September 2013 around 270 applications for Help to Buy had been made across the district.

The Government has implemented phase 2 of this scheme earlier than planned, which applies to all homes and isn’t restricted to first time buyers. Again it requires only a 5% deposit from a buyer and the Government guarantees the next 15% of a mortgage, providing compensation to a lender if the buyer defaults on their mortgage in the first 7 years. This help, however welcome by people looking to buy their first home, or trade up to a larger one, will drive up property prices unless the supply of new homes can outpace the demand.

Financial support from the “Bank of Mum and Dad” has also enabled some young people to buy a home, but this can mean that parents have used up their savings or extended their own mortgages. This may bring a range of financial problems for parents as they get older.

Renting from a Registered Housing Provider

Around 24% of households are in social rented homes; this is a reduction of 4% since 2001, but remains a high percentage compared with the Yorkshire and Humber average. There are also 20,656 (Sept 2013) people on the Housing Register who are looking for a social rented tenancy.

Renting privately

The number of households privately renting has increased significantly since 2001 up from 6,600 to 16,000 in 2011. More than 4,400 private rented properties across the district became available to rent in 2012; two thirds were houses, and one third flats. The average cost of renting a home in the private sector is £546 a month and rents are rising as demand for homes increases. Rents are rising fastest for smaller 1 and 2 bedroom properties. Costs vary across the district from £450 to £640 per month depending on the property and the area.

On average, working households on lower incomes need to spend more than 30% of their income to rent privately. Only a third of private properties coming up for rent are affordable within the Local Housing Allowance limits, and thus within the reach of households on benefits.

In addition to rent, new tenants of private rented homes are usually also asked for a bond payment typically of one

months’ rent or around £500. Some landlords also ask for payment of rent in advance, again typically around a months’ rent.

Payments of this scale can be very difficult for people to afford. Help is available for single people who are homeless, or in danger of being so, from the Wakefield Rent Deposit Scheme. The scheme provides landlords with a bond guarantee and offers clients housing-related support during their tenancy. We hope to expand the scope of this scheme, so it can offer bond guarantees to couples and families in some circumstances, as well as single people.

Impacts of changes to housing benefit

Changes to housing benefit as part of the Government’s Welfare Reforms are changing the patterns of demand for rented homes. Help with housing costs has been cut for working age social housing tenants deemed to have spare bedrooms. For tenants with 1 spare bedroom the rent used for housing benefit purposes will be reduced by 14% or about £12 per week; for tenants with 2 or more spare rooms, the rent used for the purposes of housing benefit will be cut by 25% or about £23 per week. Similar restrictions are in place for private tenants in the form of Local Housing Allowance. Along with cuts to the eligibility for housing benefit in both tenures, single people under 35

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years old living in privately rented accommodation can only get housing benefit to cover the rent of a room in a shared house and not a self-contained flat.

There is an insufficient supply of good quality shared houses in the district to meet the likely increase in demand that will arise from this change.

There is some evidence that more people are giving up social tenancies citing that they can no longer afford their homes. A significant number are moving in with family or friends, and evictions from private tenancies are increasing. Of the 13,609 households in the district identified as being in housing need, nearly 88% cannot afford to rent or buy on the open market, and a similar percentage of all newly forming households cannot afford to buy or rent without support.

Different things are happening in the housing market across the district

The population has grown over the last ten years by an average of 3.3% but some parts have grown more quickly than others. For instance, the Wakefield Central population grew by 21.9% in this same period. The Castleford area saw an increase in the 0-4 age group by more than 15%, the largest increase in the district. In the Wakefield Rural area however, the 65+ age group grew by 20%, almost double the increase of anywhere else in the district.

The private rented sector has almost doubled since

2001 but has grown more in some areas than others. In Wakefield North, the percentage of private rented properties has grown from 8% of the overall stock in 2001 to almost 22% in 2011. Castleford Whitwood, however, has seen private rented sector increase very modestly from 8% in 2001 to 11% in 2011.

In Normanton and Pontefract private rent levels are increasing as there is increased competition for properties. This competition is driving up rents; the average rent in these areas has increased by about £20 a month since 2009. However, in Featherstone, parts of Castleford and in Wakefield North rent levels remain at the 2009 level. This is in stark contrast to Wakefield West where rent levels have increased by almost £60 a month since 2009.

The tenure mix also differs from area to area. There are high levels of home ownership in Wakefield Rural and Wakefield North West accompanied by relatively low levels of social and affordable housing. Not unsurprisingly this reduces residents’ options when looking for suitable housing and alternatives to ownership. The highest levels of social and affordable housing levels are found in Wakefield Central where 37% of all homes are in this tenure.

Building new homesThere is interest in building new homes in the district; since 2009 almost 3,100 new homes have been built. High levels of interest continue in the Pontefract, Knottingley Noble Road, Outwood

Instinct, Ackworth

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and Castleford parts of the district which have seen 1,221 new homes, but all areas have benefited from some new homes, showing a return of greater confidence recently to our housing market.

More information about housing in each of the seven settlement areas within our district can be found in the Area Profiles attached with this document.

5.2 Providing new homesThe Council has allocated enough housing land to build the new homes that are needed but the slow housing market is making housing developers cautious. The rate at which new homes have been built in recent years has fallen well behind our target despite the Council granting planning permission for 1,820 more new homes in 2012/13.

The LDF policy CS 6 sets out that new homes must provide a broad mix of housing suitable for different types of households; For example the need to increase the supply of smaller, affordable 1 and 2 bedroom homes for the growing number of small households, and 4 bedroom and larger homes for larger families and shared homes.

There are locations for new homes across the district, and to help us meet our housing growth targets, a number of large housing schemes are also progressing. In many cases these are guided and supported by master plans prepared by the Council with input by local residents and businesses, to help co-ordinate development.

Wakefield - at City Fields, formerly New East Wakefield - around 2,500 new homes are planned over the next 15-20 years. A new relief road is needed to open up access to the land, and a new neighbourhood centre with shops and services, a public transport hub and a new school are planned. A planning application for the first 500 new homes at the Stanley end of the area has been submitted.

Castleford - 3,000 new homes are planned as part of the Castleford Growth Delivery Plan across a number of sites around the town, along with 2,000 new jobs and transport and environmental improvements. New homes are already being built at Navigation Point.

Pontefract - there are a number of sites for new housing at Pontefract, the largest being the former Prince of Wales colliery site where around 900 new homes are planned in the next 10 years. A new northern relief road is needed to manage the increased traffic from these new homes.

Featherstone - at the Girnhill estate Strata will start work in early 2014 on 224 new homes and Taylor Wimpey are planning a further 450 new homes nearby.

Normanton - across a number of sites including the Railway Sidings, Ashfield and the former brickworks, there are proposals for more than 750 new homes by housing developers, and WDH will be building 90 new homes on sites on Queen Elizabeth Drive and The Village pub site. A new delivery plan has been agreed for Normanton to help bring development forward.

Knottingley - there are two proposals for in excess of 200 new homes adjacent to the Warwick estate, and proposals to help delivery are contained in the Knottingley and Ferrybridge Delivery Plan.

The South East of the district - the Council is working to bring forward sites for new homes supported by the Regional Growth Fund. Keepmoat and Chevin are soon to start building new homes at City Estate, Fitzwilliam and at Frickley and Gordon Place South Elmsall. In all, 650 new homes are planned over the next 10 years.

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Wakefield city centre - further phases of new homes are planned for the Waterfront and Merchant Gate, and the master plan being developed for Kirkgate will also provide the opportunity for new homes.

Rural Wakefield - the rural areas of the district have some of the highest value properties and rent levels. However, there is unmet housing need, particularly from older residents, and therefore there is a need to grow the supply of homes with sympathetic development.

A new Housing Joint Venture Partnership in 2014

In 2014 the Council will be launching an innovative new partnership with WDH by establishing a Housing Joint Venture Partnership to build new homes for sale to generate profits to re-invest in new homes and the regeneration of the district. This type of investment model is a new way forward for the Council which makes the very best use of scarce Council resources to capture the profit generated by the sales of new homes for re-investment in the district, enhancing the benefits which can be achieved for residents.

Over a 5-7 year period the Partnership aims to build around 193 new homes across 3 sites, the majority being for sale but also providing around 57 more new affordable homes to rent.

The Partnership will be run by a Board comprised of

Council and WDH representatives, and its focus will be on generating benefits for Wakefield residents. It will contribute to achieving the LDF target for new homes, increasing the overall speed at which new homes are built, and giving the Council and WDH another tool to ensure we are responding to local housing need.

Looking forward:• We are expecting the housing market to gradually improve as the economy improves, with more homes being built and sold.

• We expect that mortgages will gradually become easier to get, but that mortgage lending will remain cautious, with deposits required and realistic sums lent which buyers can afford to repay as well as meeting other household costs.

• It’s likely that house prices will begin to rise again, but not at the speed of previous years, and this should be positive as it helps to minimise the gap between prices and incomes

• We’ll see new homes in many locations across the district, and large new housing schemes will progress to starting on site with the first new homes being sold in the next few years

• In some parts of the district where property values are lower, the viability of sites may remain poor, with less interest from house buildersNetheroyd, Sharlston

Westgate, Wakefield

Westfield Lane, South Elmsall

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5.3 Renting from a Registered Housing ProviderThe Council no longer owns homes for rent, having transferred its housing stock to Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) in 2005. It’s vital, therefore, that the Council works closely with WDH and the other Registered Housing Providers (RHPs) who own and manage around 35,000 social homes across the district to ensure that people have good quality, well managed homes. Appendix 1 sets out the numbers of homes owned and managed by the RHPs in the district.

Between 2011 and 2015 a total of 641 new affordable homes will have been built across the district by RHPs, 90% of which were 2 or 3 bedroom houses, but only 18 of which were bungalows. In 2010 the Government reduced the grant funding in the Affordable Housing Programme and RHPs are reviewing their business plans to work out what they can now afford to build under the new regime. This may mean that fewer affordable homes are built each year, and the gap between the demand for and supply of an affordable home, last assessed in 2011 at 772 new homes per year, may get bigger.

This may lead to longer waiting times for people on the Housing Register, and people enduring inadequate living conditions such as overcrowding, for longer. This may continue to drive up demand for homes in the private

rented sector, as people sometimes cannot wait for a suitable social rented home to become available.

New restrictions for working age social housing tenants who are under occupying their home are significantly affecting the demand for social rented homes, with some tenants needing to move into smaller homes. These tenants are competing with would-be tenants looking for a home, and there is a very limited supply of smaller 1 bedroom properties available. Tackling the shortage of supply of smaller homes is now a priority for the Council.

Looking forward

• The grant rates available to RHPs for new affordable homes are expected to fall again in 2015/18; this may result in fewer new affordable rented homes being built in future.

• Lower grant rates will also make it more difficult for RHPs to deliver specialised supported housing schemes. We know that we need more such schemes for older people, and for people with physical and learning disabilities and autism.

• There are decreasing numbers of Council owned housing sites available for affordable housing development, and we will be working with our RHP partners to help identify suitable sites for new affordable homes.

Navigation Point, Castleford

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Looking forward

• The next round of the Affordable Housing Programme runs from 2015-18. We must work closely with our RHP partners to maximise the successful bids for the right kinds of new homes to help meet housing need in the district

• The Council will be reviewing and re-appointing to its RHP Development Partnership in 2014, putting in place its partners for delivery of new affordable homes for the next 5 years.

5.4 Homes in the private rented sectorThe number of Wakefield residents living in the private rented sector in the district has doubled since 2001. This growth has been caused by increased demand for homes from people having difficulty in buying a home, or getting a social rented tenancy. Private landlords have responded to this demand by buying more properties to rent, and some owners of homes they are unable to sell have rented them out. There is now more “buy to let” professional investment taking place in the district, with property investors capitalising on these housing market conditions, and achieving an attractive yield on their investment.

Our 2013 research by Arc4 into the private rented housing market in the district has shown that there is an appetite

from landlords to further expand the number of homes they rent out, to cater to still-growing demand, which will be welcome. However, they prefer to cater to the family market, with few planning to provide the smaller homes which are needed.

The Welfare Reforms being made may affect the future working of the private rented sector, as landlords are concerned about changes to housing benefit affecting their tenants’ abilities to pay their rents and the introduction of Universal Credit. This may lead to fewer landlords offering homes to people on benefits.

The Council supports “LetsHelpYou”, a web based service which helps connect would-be tenants with landlords who have properties to rent in our area, and is able to help put people looking for a home to rent in touch with our Wakefield Responsible Landlord Scheme accredited landlords.

Landlords are increasingly using credit checks to assess the financial background of would-be tenants, which can make it difficult for people who have debts to access a tenancy.

Aaron Wilkinson Court, South Kirkby

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There are also early signs tht landlords are becoming more reluctant to let to tenants on housing benefit due to the uncertainty about welfare referals.

Looking forward

• We expect the private rented market to continue to grow, as more people rent for longer whilst saving to buy a home and the supply of social rented homes falls short of meeting the demand.

• Property investors intend to grow the number of 2 bedroom properties available for rent.

• The Council will explore the options for encouraging an increased supply of well managed private rented homes, working with accredited landlords and property investors to fill the gaps in supply of smaller homes

• We’ll support the growth of well managed shared houses with a new House in Multiple Occupation Conversion Loan for accredited landlords.

• New ways of working between landlords need to be developed to better link the social and private rented housing sectors, to make it easier for households to move between tenures and help landlords to keep their properties let The Wharf, Knottingley

Chantry Square Waterfront,

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More homes - our targets for the next 5 years

TARGET 1 increase delivery to 1,600 new homes per year

TARGET 2 30% of all new homes should be affordable homes

TARGET 3 start the delivery of new homes at City Fields, Pontefract and Castleford

TARGET 4 support housing developers and accredited private landlords to expand the number of homes available for rent

TARGET 5 improve linkages between the social rented and private rented housing sectors

TARGET 6 enable more shared homes, 1 bedroom and 4/5 bedroom homes to be built and homes for older people

TARGET 7 review our RHP development partnership and appoint partners for the next 5 years

Shinwell, Upton

Better Homes, Better Places

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Tackling problems like empty homes and poor property condition removes what can become real problems

for local residents, affecting their health and wellbeing, attracting anti-social behaviour, reducing the popularity of neighbourhoods and the value of other homes. Better homes are an important part of joined up area working, helping to achieve the local priorities on crime, health and prosperity set out in the 7 Area Plans developed with local people across the district.

The previous stock condition survey found that 81% of privately owned homes in the district were in good condition, but 19% (around 21,000) would fail to meet the decency standard. The most common problems were with excess cold and poor energy efficiency, general disrepair and hazards that may cause trips and falls. The poorer condition homes tended to be in the private rented sector, and were mostly pre-1919 terrace homes.

6.1 Working with the homeowners and private landlordsThe Council has three important roles in supporting owners and residents to maintain and improve the quality of privately owned homes:• Advice and Support for home owners• Influencing the quality of private rented homes • Improving property standards through enforcement

Advice and Support for home owners

The Council has an important role in providing advice and support to help home owners to best use their own resources to keep their homes in a good, safe, warm condition. We advise owners on the cause of repair problems, how to remedy property faults and how to find and employ a reputable builder. We provide a summary of this advice in our leaflet “A guide to arranging work in your home”. In the last three years we have also helped 56 older and low income home owners with a Houseproud Loan; affordable finance to get essential repair work done to their homes.

Looking forward

During 2013-14 we will re-launch the Council’s Advice Service for owners, aiming to help more people and increase the number of private homes that are improved. This free Advice Service will cover issues such as:

• Diagnosing and prioritising repair work

• Choosing the right tradesperson

• Managing the financial side of repair work

• Understanding your rights and responsibilities

Ruskin Avenue, Wrenthorpe

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Influencing the quality of private rented homes

The Council runs the very successful Wakefield Responsible Landlords Scheme (WRLS), which improves the quality of properties and management standards in the private rented sector. We actively work with, and publicly recognise, those landlords who are willing to attain and stick to good property standards. There are currently 155 accredited landlords, managing between them more than 2,835 homes.

There are real benefits for landlords who join the WRLS. Each year the Council runs 3 free training events, providing best practice information and updates on national policy changes which affect their businesses. Accredited landlords are also able to advertise their accreditation to would-be tenants, increasing confidence in their businesses. We also provide them with advice on landlord/tenant law, repair and maintenance issues and help them access benefits advice. The Council’s work with landlords is recognised by the National Accreditation Network.

We also work, of course, with other landlords who are not in the WRLS to advise them on all these issues, but know we are not in contact with many of the private landlords in the district and are unaware of the condition and management standards of some of the homes in this sector. In these cases we rely on tenants contact us to let us know where property conditions are poor.

There are a small number of private landlords we know of whose businesses are a cause for concern, and their properties become targets for us to tackle. We work with West Yorkshire Police, the Border Agency, other council services, RHPs and local groups to tackle a range of problems including illegal immigration, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. During 2012 we worked in this way in the College Grove area of Wakefield.

Looking forward• We will continue our efforts to get to know more landlords and expand the membership of the WRLS. This will be even more important going forward as we know that the private rented sector is growing rapidly.

• To help us expand our activity on the WRLS, we will be exploring ways of offering sponsorship opportunities connected with the scheme, for reputable, relevant businesses which offer services to landlords and tenants.

• The Government is currently drafting legislation aimed at improving the private rented sector.

The proposals include: - a compulsory redress scheme to provide compensation for tenants - a new code of practice setting standards for property management - a new tenants charter to help tenants get the best from their tenancy

- increasing scope for longer term tenancies extra guidance for local councils on how to protect tenants from illegal eviction

The Council will closely review the new regulations to make sure we maintain our good practice standards going forward.

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Improving property standards through enforcementSometimes it is necessary for the Council to use its statutory powers to force an owner to meet their legal responsibilities. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System provides a clear framework to guide our enforcement work. In addition the Council has an Enforcement Concordat which sets out its approach and how we will work with owners and others to remedy problems.

Each year between 250-350 people contact us asking for help in tackling a problem with their private rented home or landlord. The most common complaint is that a landlord is reluctant to do repair work, which can be making their home uncomfortable, insanitary or dangerous.

An example of our work with tenants and landlords

Following a complaint of overcrowding a visit was made to a 4 storey 6 bedroom Victorian terrace property in Wakefield city centre. The property was found to be significantly overcrowded, with 14 residents, and there was no fire detection system, no protected route of escape in the event of fire and one of the two available bathrooms was not in use through disrepair.

We worked with the landlord to ensure that he installed a fire detection system, fire doors to form a protected route of escape and repaired the second bathroom. The number of people living in the property was also reduced to one tenant per bedroom. The landlord is now in the process of applying for an House in Multiple Occupation license, and we will monitor the condition of the property going forward.

Looking forward

• We must continue to enforce standards for property and tenant safety, and must maintain a district-wide coverage for this service• We have reviewed our target areas for targeted activity with landlords whose properties or management practices are causing concern. With our partners, we have identified hotspot areas at Hemsworth and Wakefield city centre for targeted enforcement action.

• A key challenge will be keeping pace with the expansion of the private rented sector, to ensure we are aware of locations where minimum standards are not being met.

6.2 Improving social rented homesAlmost 100% of all the RHP properties in the district now meet the Decent Homes standard, and many exceed this. But RHP investment in property standards doesn’t stop there. RHPs are now working to achieve high energy efficiency standards to help tenants cope with ever-rising fuel prices. They are also tackling the specific technical challenges that arise from improving non-traditionally constructed homes, as well as continuing to invest in major works such as roof replacement, to keep properties in good condition.

College Grove, Wakefield Priory Fields, Pontefract

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Looking forward• We expect to see RHPs continuing to invest in improving homes, particularly in energy efficiency improvements.

• Depending on future trends in housing need and the welfare benefit regime, RHPs may do some property conversions to make sure their homes best meet demand and are fully occupied.

6.3 But it’s not just better homes, its better places tooIn the last 5 years the Council has completed a number of housing market renewal regeneration schemes which have made a real difference to not just homes, but to whole neighbourhoods.

The improvement scheme at Wilson Street Triangle in Castleford is an excellent example of how a range of works comes together to transform peoples’ living environment. This scheme was part of a co-ordinated programme of regeneration in Castleford which also saw the award winning Castleford foot bridge built over the river in 2008 .

At Wilson Street we invested in:• improved highways, footpaths and rear roads• new boundary walls to unify the design for the area and improve security for home owners• removing obsolete and derelict outbuildings• better car parking• transforming open spaces and introducing street art work

The scheme made a real difference to how people felt about their local area.

At West End in Hemsworth the Council acted to prevent the area falling into complete decline. The area was troubled with vandalism and anti-social behaviour and people responded by leaving the area, house prices were falling and there were problems with some of the landlords who bought up properties as the prices fell. We agreed a combination of demolitions, physical improvements to streets and targeted work with the problem landlords and local residents, and successfully halted the decline in the area. Today it is a thriving and safe community where residents feel much happier to make their home. Our plans to see new homes built in the area have been delayed by the recession, and we have created a temporary wildflower meadow on the site, but over the coming years we expect to make progress on this ambition.

Wilson Street after

Wilson Street before

The area used to be terrible and we were frightened to go into the back yard or leave the house. Since the works were all finished, we now feel a lot safer in our homes and it is much more peaceful - Wilson Street resident

West End, Hemsworth

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Helping new homes fit into neighbourhoods

The Government funds that were available to carry out housing-led neighbourhood improvement schemes are no longer in place. But the Council continues to work hard to secure what resources are available to help create the right environment for housing growth, by improving our neighbourhoods.

In South Elmsall, Fitzwilliam, Featherstone, Hemsworth and Kinsley the Council will soon have completed a series of road and street scene improvements supported by the Regional Growth Fund, to help new homes to fit into their neighbourhoods by accommodating increased traffic. We are also expanding the car parking at Fitzwilliam train station.

The Council has secured funds to help finance the Pontefract northern relief road, which will help reduce traffic congestion in the area and accommodate more traffic from new homes, and is working with the landowners to plan the work. We have also secured funds from the West Yorkshire Transport Fund to finance the New East Wakefield relief road, and will work with the landowners in the area to secure a start on site in 2015.

Looking after garage sites and car parks

The Council maintains a number of garage sites and car parks across the district. These provide local facilities for residents and support the vibrancy of local shops, as well as helping to prevent parking problems in neighbourhoods not originally designed for cars

6.4 Tackling empty homesEmpty homes are found in every part of the district. An empty home is a wasted opportunity, both for the owner and the district, and can be a real problem for adjoining residents if they become targets for vandalism and anti-social behaviour. In 2012/13 we helped to bring back into use 336 empty homes, working with owners and landlords to improve these homes and either help them sell to new occupiers or find tenants for them.

The new Empty Homes Loans we launched in 2012 are an invaluable tool in helping get these homes re-occupied. So far we have made19 loans and have had a further 60 enquiries. We’ve also jointly funded a project with WDH and Chevin Housing to buy and bring back into use 12 empty homes. In June 2013 we ran our first Empty Property Fair, linking up the owners of 69 empty homes with investors, managing agents and landlords who might want to buy them. More than 80 people and 17

Lock Lane, Castleford

Wilson Street, Castleford

29

businesses attended the Fair.

In 2013 the Council has become a primary authority for the National Empty Homes Loan Fund, which complements our own Empty Homes loans by offering larger loans of £5-15k to help owners bring empty properties back into use.

Looking forward

• We will continue to strive to deliver schemes to improve streets, open space and traffic flow where new homes are built.

• The Council is currently carrying out feasibiity work on a Community Infastructure leaving (CIL) to help fund critical infastructure required to bring forward new homes. It is not yet clear how such a levy might work in our district

• We’ll continue our work to bring empty homes back into use, maximising the supply of homes to meet housing need

• Over time patterns of demand for garages change, and in 2014 we will be reviewing our sites to evaluate their demand and viability.

6.5 Registered Housing Providers work in neighbourhoods RHPs have a major influence on the vitality and success of the neighbourhoods where they manage homes. Although their main focus is housing management and maintenance, all RHPs invest time and resources in supporting their tenants, and neighbourhoods, to thrive.

WDH manage the majority of social rented homes in the district and they have a vision of Creating Confident Communities. Their large improvement programmes have included works to design out crime and improve the street scene, the environment, green open space and play facilities, as well as support services aimed at residents’ health, employment opportunities and engagement in local activities. They also run a “Love Where you Live” programme where WDH employees volunteer their time to support local people and groups to brighten up their local landscapes.

Lincoln Street, after

Lincoln Street, before

Empty Property Fair

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Their Community Leadership Programme works with local schools to help them develop the skills of young people and they have supported the Council’s Sports and Active Lifestyles programme to help get people active and improve health.

Yorkshire Housing have their Neighbourhood Promise to work closely with tenants and run local events.

Chevin run their “Growing Together” project to help promote healthy eating and growing your own food, bringing residents together and reducing social isolation. At the South Kirkby “Turning the Corner” project, run jointly with Groundwork Wakefield, aims to reduce anti-social behaviour, with oral history being the focus of the project.

Riverside have been very successful in tackling anti-social behaviour issues in the Painthorpe area of Crigglestone. Through intensive management and a programme of improvements the area has become much more sustainable, with new homes recently provided.

Looking forward

• We expect that the RHPs will continue to invest in services to help neighbourhoods to thrive, and that they will concentrate their efforts to help their tenants into work, as this helps to protect tenants from the impact of welfare benefit changes Whinn Dale, Normanton

Whinn Dale, Extra Care, Normanton

31

Better Homes, Better Places – our targets for next 5 yearsTARGET 8 re-launch the Councils Advice Service for home owners in 2013

TARGET 9 expand the number of properties accredited through the Wakefield Responsible Landlord scheme by 350 each year

TARGET 10 target enforcement work at poor landlords

TARGET 11 complete work on the Wakefield East Relief Road and complete work on the northern relief road in Pontefract

TARGET 12 improve the streets and environment around our priority housing growth sites

TARGET 13 review the sustainability of the Council’s garage sites

TARGET 14 help bring at least 280 empty homes back into use each year

Whinn Dale, Normanton

Housing investment: jobs, training and opportunities for business

33

Wakefield is a good place to do business. In 2011 it was voted the Local Authority of the Year in the Yorkshire Property Industry Awards.

The Wakefield Jobs and Growth Plan 2012-17 sets out how the Council and its partners aim to help grow jobs and business opportunities in the district. A programme of master and delivery plans is underway to help achieve co-ordinated economic and housing growth. Being able to offer the right kinds of homes helps to encourage businesses to relocate to Wakefield, and retains those businesses which are growing and looking to expand.

7.1 Investment New homes can help to support the viability of mixed use developments. For example in Knottingley the Council is working with the developer of a large industrial site where new homes are proposed alongside power generation and new business premises.

There is a shortage of homes in the district at the high value end of the housing market. 8% of movers surveyed in our last Strategic Housing Market Assessment were interested in this type of home. These homes tend to be bought by high-earning business people and professionals, who are often very mobile and prepared to commute long distances. We must cater appropriately for this demand, to help households of this kind, and their businesses and skills, to stay in the district.

Housing also offers investment opportunities for companies and individuals looking to build new homes, or buy existing homes to rent out. Feedback from companies building homes in the district is positive about the Council having in place its LDF Core Strategy and a clear commitment to housing growth. It emphasised the importance of clear and efficient Planning processes and reasonable levels of planning contributions as being key to attracting them to invest in the district, as well as the availability of sites in a range of locations. Recent discussions with housing developers working locally have shown growing confidence in the local housing market, and an expectation of increasing their scale of building over the next 5 years.

Our 2013 research into the private rented housing sector revealed that there is healthy interest by property investors in buying and renting more homes, as they are achieving on average a satisfactory yield of over 4% on their investment.

7.2 Jobs and Training Building new homes creates jobs and training opportunities. In the 2011 Census around 13,000 people said they were employed in construction in the district, which is about 8% of all those employed. This number has been static for the last three years. Construction has been hit hard by the recession, but there are now positive prospects Instinct, Ackworth

Verner Street, Featherstone

34

for investment and employment in the district, with construction activity forecast to grow in the coming years.

The Council is working proactively with developers through its new Apprenticeship Hub to maximise the opportunities for new training and jobs for local people from the provision of new homes.

The Council secured £8m of Regional Growth Fund monies to help provide 650 new homes on sites in the south east of the district. The building of these homes will help to safeguard more than 150 jobs in construction, and in companies which supply materials and other services, over a 7 year period.

The management and maintenance of around 35,000 social rented homes by the RHPs working in the district also contributes significantly to the local economy. In 2013 a Northern Housing Consortium study found that social housing organisations contributed £4.64bn Gross Value Added to the northern economy and supported 116,900 jobs in 2011. The Homes and Communities Agency also require every RHP to provide 1 training place per £1m of investment in homes.

Investment, jobs and training at WDH

Wakefield and District Housing invested £84m in major improvements to homes they own in 2012/13 and £22m in repairs. Almost three quarters of these funds

were invested with 285 local companies providing goods and services. More than half of the people employed on schemes in their investment programme live in the district.

WDH’s Community Employment Advisers have helped more than 300 people to find employment, and referred a further 449 people to employment–related training. Since 2005 WDH have taken on more than 70 apprentices, helping them grow their skills and experience and to move into permanent employment. In 2012 they launched the WDH Academy, working with JobCentre Plus, offering 20 young people a six month work placement with WDH, more than half of whom found employment after their placement. Additional partnerships to enable more people to gain skills and a work record continue to be developed.

Guinness Northern Counties (GNC) and access to work

GNC have an Access to Work Strategy for their tenants, and a long standing apprenticeship partnership with Upturn Enterprise Ltd, as well as supporting the National Housing Federation’s “Apprenticeship Pledge”. In 2012/13 80% of apprentices found permanent jobs on leaving these level programmes, and all of them achieved an NVQ Level 2 and Key Skills qualifications.

The Together FoundationThrough the Together Foundation, Chevin HA have been running their Wakefield Home Improvement Project offering local residents and young people the chance to gain real on-site experience of construction work. They also support the Cee Vee project, run with South Kirby Community Association. This is a unique project that helps jobless people get back into work by giving them a video CV to use for job applications. Chevin have also helped 9 young people learn to drive as a way of opening up their employment options. The Skillsbuild project based in Fitzwilliam, run in partnership with the Council’s Alternative School Provision Team, Wakefield College and Jobcentre Plus, is targeted at young people not in education, employment or training, has helped 106 young people aged 14-19 gain qualifications in construction skills, Maths and English. The association has appointed an Employment Advisor for the district, working primarily with Chevin residents.

Places for People and economic developmentPlaces for People have an Economic Development Strategy that covers a range of employment and business issues, including a traineeship and apprenticeship programme to help young people, at risk of becoming homeless into employment and using European funds to support people who want to become self employed or run small businesses.

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Yorkshire Housing and local training

Yorkshire Housing regularly offer a range of apprenticeships from plumbing and joinery to business administration and health and safety. In 2012 they also provided £5,000 to help keep the Job Club running in Havercroft, showing their commitment to helping local people into work. They are also working in partnership with Chevin on a 6 week training and mentoring course on “How to start your own business”. The Business Coaches will support potential business start ups for up to 5 years.

7.3 The Leeds City Region Green Deal schemeThe Leeds City Region Green Deal scheme should launch in the summer of 2014, offering energy efficiency improvement loans and works to homeowners. In its first 3 years the £60m project aims to carry out works at around 10,000 homes across the city region, and to create or safeguard 600 jobs. Key elements of this project are opportunities for local energy and building companies to get involved in carrying out the works and employing local people to carry them out.

7.4 Student housingThe Council is also working hard to improve the skills levels of local residents to help attract new businesses to the area. We are working with Wakefield College try to create a university presence in Wakefield city centre to give people the chance to achieve and use higher level skills locally. More students in the city will bring more economic activity, and they will also need places to live. In 2013 we helped the Backstage Academy, who offer degree level qualifications in events management and media, to find 60-80 flats for students joining them in 2013, and will be taking a wider look at more opportunities for student housing during 2014.

Looking forward• As the economy improves we are expecting the scale of private investment in new housing in the district to increase. • We also expect that more local people will work in construction and associated supplier businesses, expanding the opportunities for apprenticeships.

• The Green Deal project should expand the opportunities for local energy and building companies to get involved in retrofitting energy efficiency measures to private homes.

• As the Council and Wakefield College work towards establishing a University presence we expect to see the number of students living in the district increasing, and the need for the right kind of student housing will therefore also increase.

• The future scale of investment by RHPs will ensure that they will remain large contributors to the local economy and to tackling worklessness amongst their tenants

Instinct, Ackworth

Fisher Street,Knottingley

Woodside, Normanton

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Housing Investment: jobs, training and opportunities for business - our targets for the next 5 years

TARGET 15 ensure the housing development sites in south east deliver and safeguard 150 jobs

TARGET 16 maximise the opportunities for apprenticeships through partnership working with RHPs and house builders

TARGET 17 support investment in the private rented sector by working with accredited landlords and house builders

TARGET 18 pro-actively work with house builders to help them increase their investment in the district

TARGET 19 maximise jobs, training and local business opportunities from the Green Deal

TARGET 20 expand the supply of student housing

TARGET 21 grow the supply of homes attractive to professionals and entrepreneurs

Better Homes, Better Health

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8.1 Better Homes, Better Health

We want people in our district to have healthier, happier and longer lives, and we know there is a direct link between good housing and good health and wellbeing. A good home gives people a secure place to rest and recharge. A poor condition home which is cold, damp and has hazards which can cause injuries, trips and falls, can lead to or worsen chronic health problems, anxiety and depression and cause accidents which lead to hospital admissions.

Health and wellbeing is also affected by the affordability of homes, security of tenure, fear of homelessness and fear of crime in our neighbourhood, all of which can increase distress, anxiety and isolation.

We also know that health and wellbeing is worse for those residents who live in our most deprived areas and in certain vulnerable groups. The health of children can be dramatically affected by their housing conditions. This impacts on their growth and development and affects their achievements at school.

The Health and Wellbeing Strategy sets out how joint working between agencies will improve the health of local residents, and the Council’s Healthy Cities initiative includes a target for creating Healthy Homes through actions such as:

• Ensuring the right kinds of new homes are built for older people and those with physical and learning disabilities

• Helping people manage their finances and cope with debt problems

• Supporting people who lose their homes

• Adapting homes and providing support to enable people to keep living independently as their mobility changes

• Investing in making homes warmer through better energy efficiency

The work of RHPs in the district also contributes to improved health. For example, WDH run a unique service, the Health Inequality Team, commissioned by Public Health. Since 2009 this team have worked with more than 1,500 clients, 94% of whom said they felt the team had improved their health and well being.

Looking forward• The Healthy Cities Initiative will form a focus for joint working on health and housing. • Partnership work with landlords in both the social and private sector will allow us to continue to drive up standards within housing to improve health

Heritage View, Castleford

Aaron Wilkinson Court, South Kirkby

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8.2 Homes and housing support for older people

Having more older people in the district creates specific housing needs. Of course, not every older person will need help with housing, but there will be more people living with health problems and disabilities. Building a wide variety of housing to meet the needs of older residents will be one way of helping people remain independent but we also need to consider what types of housing we need for those people who need a home with care and support.

There is a shortage in the supply of new homes being built specifically for older people, both to rent and to buy. Very few bungalows or low rise apartments are built by house builders or RHPs and we need ensure a better mix of new homes is built going forward. Cuts to Affordable Housing Grant are making the provision of new older people’s housing for social rent, including Extra Care Housing schemes, more difficult, but we will need to continue to look for ways of increasing the supply of these types of homes.

There are also limited resources to pay for all the housing-related support services needed in the district. Some RHPs have been reviewing their ability to maintain the on-site warden service at older persons housing schemes, and we know that many tenants value the security that wardens provide. The Council is reviewing how it prioritises the funding it does have, but as public funding continues to be squeezed, it will become more difficult to maintain the

required range of housing support services and to afford new schemes.

Disabled Facilities Grants are a vital Council service to help older people, and people with disabilities, to continue to live in their own homes.

Uncertainty about future Government and Council funding makes it essential for us to look for new ways of using our resources and budgets to greatest effect in the next few years.

Some changes have been implemented already including the Recycling Scheme which re-uses some of the adaptations we fit. This has helped us to fit adaptations more quickly, and improved value for money by cutting waste. We will also continue to develop better links with the NHS to help people leave hospital more quickly. A similar joint approach has also been developed for clients who are approaching the end of their life. The investment in adaptations directly reduces costs to the NHS and improves residents’ quality of life.

Technology can help to develop new support services for older and vulnerable people. For example, WDH’s Carelink service can help people feel more secure and confident about living alone. More than 15,000 people across the Yorkshire region, who own or rent their homes, have joined Carelink, and in 2013 WDH added to the service with “Take a Break” which enables the relatives of an older or vulnerable person to take a holiday knowing there is support on hand for their loved one if they need it.

De Lacey Gardens, Pontefract

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Looking forward• In our consultation with older people almost 73% aid they want to continue to live at home with help if and when it is needed; demand is growing, but resources are decreasing. • Working closely with our partner RHPs and house builders we need to increase the supply of homes suitable for older people. • We also need to continue to offer our Advice Service and provide Disabled Facilities Grants to help residents keep their own homes warm and safe and to help them live in them comfortably for as long as possible• All housing providers need to make the most of the opportunities offered by technology for providing support services to older people• In 2014 the Council will be producing a new Older Persons Housing Plan

8.3 Preventing and managing housing debtMany people find themselves at some time struggling with their finances and getting into debt. The current squeeze on incomes and changes to welfare benefits is increasing the likelihood of debts becoming a problem.

Paying the rentSocial housing tenants work with their landlords to address rent and other tenancy debts. A recent local innovation is the Cashwise project, being run by WDH for the Wakefield Financial Inclusion Partnership, and open to all social landlord tenants or soon-to-be tenants under 24 and all tenants in their first year. The project gives them free practical advice on running their home.

Early indications are that the recent Welfare Reform changes aimed at reducing under-occupation are increasing the number of tenants who are in arrears, as people struggle to make up the housing benefit shortfall from their other income.

The Direct Payments Demonstration Project which the Council and WDH are participating in with the Department for Work and Pensions and 5 other local authorities, is showing that around 20% of tenants have failed to manage their rent payments when housing benefit is paid directly to them. The increased risk of non-payment and the support resources required, raises significant concerns for the future roll out of Universal Credit, now expected in the district in 2015/16.

This project has given valuable learning around the ways that people manage their money, the factors that can affect them and the choices they make when faced with difficult situations. It has highlighted the need for support to manage debt issues, and the improved skills that people will need to effectively manage their money in future.

Sherwood Court, Kettlethorpe

Daw Green, Crigglestone

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Tenancy debts can affect peoples’ credit ratings which in turn can affect their access to affordable credit and loans. This can prevent them from being able to move into a smaller social or private rented tenancy which might be more affordable. There may be other issues around access to banking products and the impact of increased demand on credit unions.

The changes to the eligibility for housing benefit are also causing RHPs to review their allocation policies and some are bringing in new affordability checks as they try to ensure that people who take

tenancies can afford them without getting into debt. It will become clear over time what the impact of these changes is on access to social housing.

2013 should see a new Joint Housing Allocation Policy between WDH and the Council. Whilst it is sensible to assess affordability, the impact of any changes made to this policy will need to be monitored and reviewed to make sure that vulnerable households are still able to secure a social home, are able to move on from temporary accommodation to a permanent home and that the Council’s homeless prevention duties are being discharged effectively.

In the private rented sector restrictions to Local Housing Allowance also apply. In the future the annual uprating of the LHA will be linked to the Consumer Price Index, (CPI) rather than to the rental market in the area. If rent levels increase by more than CPI in the district, a gap may emerge between the benefit available and the actual rent for a home. In our consultation private landlords told us that this will make them more reluctant to offer tenancies to people reliant on benefits.

Paying the mortgage

Higher unemployment, reducing in-work incomes and rising living costs have also meant that some people are struggling to pay their mortgage and face possible homelessness as a result of the repossession of their

home. The Council has a unique mortgage assistance loan scheme called Breathing Space. The scheme helps owners to stay in their homes wherever possible. Since 2009 the Breathing Space Scheme has directly helped 101 households in the district to stave off repossession and has given financial advice to a further 250 people.

The Council also currently runs a Mortgage Rescue scheme in partnership with Yorkshire Housing. The scheme allows eligible people to sell their home to Yorkshire Housing and become tenants, when they have no prospect of being able to remain as an owner. 175 families have been helped by the scheme since it started and 135 more have been helped with financial advice. Unfortunately the Council is expecting the Government to end the funding for this scheme at the end of March 2014.

Financial Inclusion Partnership

The Council works closely with White Rose Credit Union, Citizens Advice Bureau, Job Centre Plus, Age UK and RHPs as a Financial Inclusion Partnership to join up approaches to supporting low income households and maximise access to advice and affordable financial services.

BreathingSpace

A guide to Regional Mortgage Assistance Loan Scheme

www.wakefield.gov.uk

HOMEOWNERS:IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME?

BreathingSpace

Scheme

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Looking forward

• It will be important to closely monitor how people are responding to the welfare changes to see how the need for our services might change

• We will strive to ensure that the support tools we offer for those in debt stay in place, including the Breathing Space scheme and the Wakefield Rent Deposit Scheme

• We will pay particular attention to housing issues for people under 35 who aren’t working as they are significantly affected by housing benefit changes

• The Council and its partners are reviewing local support needs to ensure that appropriate support on money and debt advice and income is in place

• We will monitor the impact of changes to RHP allocation policies to assess how far local housing needs are being met

8.4 Tackling homelessnessHomelessness impacts very badly on peoples’ health, wellbeing and quality of life. The Council’s approach is to work to prevent homelessness, aiming to either help people stay in their current homes or, where this is not possible to find them a suitable alternative home.During the year 2011/12 the district saw an alarming

increase in homelessness: applications up by 49% to 688, acceptances up by 33% to176 and a 26% increase to 373 of people being placed in temporary accommodation. This reflected a national trend, caused largely by the recession and people losing their jobs or seeing their income decrease, and then struggling to keep affording their homes. In 2012/13 the number of homeless applications was 681, very similar to previous years high level. Forecasts for 2013/14 so far show a year end projection of 630 homeless applications, a forecast decrease of 8% on 2012/13.

The main reasons why people lost their last home are shown below:

2011/12 2012/132013/14

(part)

Loss of lodgings 33% 40% 37%

Loss of rented home for a reason

other than rent arrears

20% 15% 18%

Violence 13% 15% 17%

Most homelessness applications come from people aged 16-26 (38%), followed by 26-36 year olds (30%) and then 36-46 year olds (18%). The percentage of 26-36

year olds has increased year on year, due to competition for private rented homes, difficulty in getting a social rented home, benefit changes for the under 35s and increased unemployment.It is concerning to see that loss of home due to violence has increased from 13% to 17% in the last three years. There is also some evidence that more possession orders are being listed at court and more warrants issued for rent and mortgage arrears, which may further increase homelessness. We will be examining the reasons behind these trends and setting out actions to tackle them in the work on our new Homelessness Strategy in 2014.

Tackling Rough Sleeping

Since 2010 the Council and its partners have estimated the number of people sleeping rough on a selected night in November. The estimated numbers have increased from 10 in 2010, 14 in 2011 to 17 in 2012. In 2013 the Council developed its Preventing Rough Sleeping Model which is a local response to the Government’s “No Second Night Out” initiative. The Model aims to find and help new rough sleepers to get off the streets and to work with longer term rough sleepers to ensure that they have a chance to resolve their homelessness. The Model is running initially for one year, at which point we will assess its achievements, with a view to making any changes needed to improve the outcomes for homeless people.

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For those who are sleeping rough in the district a range of other help is on offer from the Council and other statutory and voluntary agencies:

• The Council’s Homeless Team funds a full time Rough Sleeper Support Worker and contracts with the Wakefield Baptist Church to open a night shelter during severe cold weather

• The Trinity Mission at Castleford provides a shelter each Thursday and Friday evening during the winter months

• Riverside has 8 beds in its Marsh Way housing complex which are used for direct access by those with nowhere to sleep

Floating Housing Support Services

The local floating housing support services, which help statutory homeless or potentially homeless people, are being stretched by a big increase in people coping with multiple problems including mental health, alcohol misuse, physical disability, significant debts and other vulnerabilities. There are signs recently that homeless people are staying in temporary accommodation for longer than in previous years and are waiting longer to get a permanent new home with an RHP, a Supported Accommodation provider or a private landlord.

Looking forward

The Council is currently updating its Homelessness Strategy, and will be adopting the new one by April 2014. Consultation is currently underway about what should be included in the new strategy and key issues seem to be:

• mitigating against the effects of welfare reform changes

• maintaining a strong focus on homeless prevention initiatives

• developing greater joint working, and better joining up of services across the statutory and voluntary sectors

• We will continue to work with RHPs and voluntary and community groups to offer practical help to people who find themselves in danger of homelessness or who lose their home.

• We will examine the options for the Council to establish a Social Lettings Agency

De Lacy Gardens, Pontefract

Whinn Dale, Normanton

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8.5 Meeting all types of housing needIn the Comprehensive Impact Assessment for this strategy, we examined how this Housing Strategy will fulfil the Council’s statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty and ensure we recognise and try to meet the differing needs of local communities and individuals to prevent and tackle any discrimination or equality.

Homes for people with mental health issues

There are an increasing number of people, many of whom are single, with complex support needs including mental health issues who need suitable supported housing to give them a firm foundation. Individual tenancies with support are very effective model for supporting this client group. There are also people with emotionally unstable personality disorders for whom supported housing is essential.

Homes for people with physical disabilities

There are a range of ways in which the housing needs of people with physical disabilities are met:

Adaptations: as mentioned previously, the Council’s Disabled Facilities Grants are a vital service in helping people afford and arrange these adaptations. As more people are living longer, the need for adaptations will increase.

Lifetimes Homes: the Council encourages the building of new homes to the Lifetime Homes standard to ensure that they are more easily adaptable as peoples’ physical health changes over time.

Purpose built homes for rent: helped by a grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) RHPs build small numbers of new homes specifically designed to meet the needs of those with physical disabilities, often with the needs of specific families in mind.

These homes are expensive to provide, but are often the only practical way of enabling people to live with relative independence and to allow children with disabilities to live with their families. There are increasing numbers of people living with disabilities, and the demand for suitable homes will increase as resources reduce.

There is also a need to provide suitable homes for disabled young adults when they are ready to leave the family home.

Homes for people with learning disabilities or AutismThere are increasing numbers of people living with learning disabilities or autism, particularly adults currently living at home with older parents who over time will need their own home. Over the next 5 years it will be essential to increase the supply of homes, which provide individual tenancies with support to meet this need.

Supporting people with complex and multiple needs

There are a number of charitable organisations working in the district to provide homes and support to this client group, including Saviour Trust, Informal Learning and Turning Point, who help to secure a home and provide tenancy support and more general advice to enable people to re-establish a settled life. Foundation Housing, Langley House Trust and Bridge-It Housing are RHPs who specialise in providing homes with support, bringing together the security of a place to live with essential accompanying advice, together their services for ex-offenders, people who are homeless and largely younger people. There appears to be increasing numbers of people with complex and multiple needs including substance abuse, offending, mental health problems and homelessness. There is a need for providers of support and housing to ensure their services allow people with these needs to engage with them and successfully access services. Making Every Adult Matter principles are being adopted by some services across the district and there is a real opportunity to build on this through the West Yorkshire Multiple and Complex Needs Project.

Supporting Young People leaving careThe Council has corporate parenting responsibilities for young people in our district who leave care. This includes helping young people to move on to suitable independent accommodation. Housing provision will be a key element in a new Looked After Children and Care Leavers

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Strategy which the Council is currently working on.

Gypsy and Traveller sites There are currently 38 Council pitches for gypsy and traveller families in the district. In 2012 the Council completed a review of the accommodation needs for gypsies and travellers in the district. This identified a shortfall of 17 pitches over the next 5 years. It is important to provide sufficient pitches to help prevent illegal encampments, and therefore the Council is in the process of identifying a location for a new site to meet this shortfall.

Looking forward

• We expect that the need for homes and housing support to meet specific disability needs, autism and mental health problems to continue to increase• We are concerned that the routes for delivering suitable new homes are reducing in scope, and whilst continuing to try and secure as much funding as possible for new homes, we will explore with partners our other options, for example the conversion of existing homes. • We are also concerned about the pressures on revenue funding which pays for the person-to- person housing support some client groups rely on, and the impact of Welfare Reform changes on the choices for young disabled people looking to leave home.

• Subject to funding being available to meet the costs of a new site, the Council hopes to provide a new gypsy and traveller site to help to meet the shortfall in pitches.

8.6 A warm home is a healthy homeWe know that cold weather and cold homes are linked to an increase in deaths and illness. In 2010-11 in England and Wales just over 26,000 deaths were attributed to the effects of cold, and in 2011 in our own district 180 people died as a result of the cold. Living in fuel poverty or a cold home can also affect the health and development of children, and the mental health of adolescents.

Improving the warmth of homes is a simple but effective way of reducing winter deaths. In the winters of 2011 and 2012 the Council ran a Cold Homes Action Project (CHAP), which helped more than 1,600 older and vulnerable people to improve the warmth of their homes, including help from Age UK’s Snowbell Responder network. Without the resources to improve the warmth of homes, reducing winter deaths relies on medical measures. The most recent estimate of the cost of cold homes in England to the NHS is £1.36bn each year.

How warm are our homes?The energy efficiency of homes is measured under a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating, out of a maximum of 100. A SAP rating of 35 can lead to a property being a ‘cold hazard’. There are over 3,500 private properties in the district with a SAP rating below 35.

• Over 58% of private households need of top-up loft insulation

• Only 35% of private households with cavity walls have had them insulated

• 22% of private households need new or improved central heating

• Over 20% of properties in the district are of solid wall construction, which are difficult and expensive to make more energy efficient.

External cladding project

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Tackling fuel povertyIn 2007 it was estimated that 18.2% of households in the district were in fuel poverty. By 2009 this had risen to almost 30%. We are carrying out new research in 2013 to update this assessment.

The rise in fuel poverty is primarily due to the increase in fuel prices and prices are expected to continue to rise. Although people on the lowest incomes are most likely to be in fuel poverty, 76% of people affected are not claiming benefits, showing that many working households are struggling to heat their homes.

The Wakefield Affordable Warmth Partnership brings together a number of agencies including the Council, British Gas, Yorkshire Energy Services, National Energy Action, the Energy Saving Trust, Groundwork, WDH, Chevin and the White Rose Credit Union to pool their resources to tackle fuel poverty, improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

The Council runs a large programme of energy awareness events across the district each year. In the last year we have completed 35 community events, provided information to 71 chemists and carried out a programme of events in schools.

The Council offers an interest free Energy Savers Loan through the White Rose Credit Union to older people and those on low incomes to fund energy efficiency works.

The energy company schemes that have helped the Council fund its Wakefield Energy Savers and Low Carbon

Communities schemes in recent years ended in December 2012 as the funding was stopped by Government. In the last 5 years these schemes had helped more than 6,600 households improve the warmth of their homes.

Our new scheme for improving energy efficiencyThe new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) requires energy companies to invest in energy efficiency measures to reduce carbon emissions. ECO funding is available for ‘vulnerable’ people and to hard-to-treat homes. We are setting up a new ECO funded scheme to help householders insulate their homes.

There will also be companies offering ECO funded schemes in the district independent of the Council.

Eco Walk, Horbury

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The more people helped by these schemes the better; but the Council will be on hand to advise householders on the kind of services and costs they should expect.

Improving hard to treat homesThe Council and WDH have recently been working together to improve a number of non-traditionally constructed hard to treat homes, by installing external wall cladding. Together we secured £1.1m from the Department for Energy and Climate Change which allowed us to work with 31 owners and 140 tenants.

The new Green DealThe Green Deal is the Government’s new flagship energy efficiency scheme. It provides a loan that is repaid by the householder through savings on their fuel bills to enable energy improvement works to be done. The Council will have a Green Deal Scheme available in the district in early 2014.

Looking forward• We expect that fuel poverty may not increase further, as there is a growing amount of anecdotal evidence that people are just using less fuel to control their energy bills. This of course may mean that more people are feeling cold at home, and may lead to more health problems

• We will take every opportunity to draw in resources for current and new schemes, to maximise the support we can offer to residents.

• The Council is in the process of setting up a new ECO funded scheme to residents.

• The Council will help promote the Green Deal and raise awareness with local residents.

• For winter 2013/14 the Council will be offering a new project, the Home and Personal Intervention House Check (HAPI House Check), linking with services offered by Age UK and Groundwork to help vulnerable people keep their homes warm.

Insulation panels

Insulation panels ‘After’

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Better Homes, Better Health - our targets for the next 5 years

TARGET 22 secure the future of the Breathing Space scheme to help prevent more people from losing their homes due to debt

TARGET 23 to keep the use of Bed & Breakfast as temporary accommodation to a minimum and for families with dependent children only use Bed and Breakfast in emergency situations and for not longer than 6 weeks

TARGET 24 produce a new Homelessness Strategy in 2014 to maintain and develop the focus on effective homelessness prevention services

TARGET 25 provide more homes specifically designed for older people, people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, autism and other mental health conditions

TARGET 26 make progress with Public Health in reducing excess winter deaths

TARGET 27 help 1,000 households a year to make their home warmer

TARGET 28 provide targeted help to older and vulnerable people to deal with cold homes

Achieving our targets

and listening, learning and

reporting back

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9.1 A new Housing Strategy Action PlanEach year going forward we will report on our progress on the targets identified in this Housing Strategy by posting a Housing Strategy Action Plan on the Council’s website, with the first report being in June 2014.

The large reductions being made in Council budgets are expected to continue for at least the next 4 or 5 years. The huge scale of the cuts means the Council has to review its services, devise new ways of delivering services in future, and must absolutely ensure that the very best value for money is secured from all its spending. Some new ways of working are already in place:

• Housing grants are now housing loans, so that the funds that help one household are paid back and can then be used again to help another.

• Opportunities to earn income from our work with companies are being maximised

• Sponsorship opportunities are being assessed

• The Council is looking to use its resources to invest, to earn future returns to re-invest inlocal services, for example through the Housing Joint Venture Partnership and the Leeds City Region Revolving Investment Fund

• Supporting our partners to access Government funding such as the Growing Places Fund and Get Britain Building is bringing in resources to the district that the Council cannot provide

Working with partners

Without effective partnership working it would be impossible to achieve many of the targets we have set. The Council relies on some key partnerships to ensure the best housing services, improvements and new homes are available in our district. These include the Financial Inclusion Partnership and the Affordable Warmth and Sustainability Partnerships.

Our Registered Housing Provider partners

The Council relies on its RHP partners to build and manage affordable rented homes in the district.

By far the largest provider of affordable rented homes is Wakefield and District Housing, with 30,904 homes, the majority of which are in the district. The partnership with WDH is crucial to meeting local housing need, and the Council works closely and extensively with WDH on a range of housing and neighbourhood issues. WDH are very active and innovative in offering local services in areas where they have housing stock, and are an important partner in Area Working and the Wakefield Together Partnership. Going forward we expect to see the partnership working with WDH grow further, as we

Gibson Close, Wakefield

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start work on our new Housing Joint Venture Partnership and work together to plan and adapt housing services in response to Welfare Reform

We will also continue to work closely with all our RHP partners to support them in bringing new affordable homes into the district and linking their housing management and other work in neighbourhoods with our own Area Plans and priorities.

Working with land owners and house builders

We work closely with land owners and house builders to help get new homes delivered. The majority of all new homes built are provided by the private sector and on privately owned land, so it’s important that the Council is effective and open to working with private partners. Our Developer Forum meets twice a year to discuss housing and planning issues and share information on activity in the housing market.

The Leeds City Region (LCR) and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

The Council is a proactive partner in city region joint working, successfully ensuring that Wakefield district’s needs are central to the priorities for investment. Key housing and regeneration projects in our district feature in the LCR Housing and Regeneration Strategy, and in “Realising the Potential”, the LEP’s current Plan, where our investment in housing and neighbourhoods fits with

their priorities for “Facilitating a low carbon economy” and “Creating the right environment for growth”. Wakefield priority projects will also be included in the new LEP Local Growth Plan currently being developed.

During 2013/14 the LCR is updating its information on housing provision and housing markets the aims of this work are to establish a shared method across the LCR for assessing housing need and to make sure that all the councils understand and join up the planning for cross boundary housing markets. This information will provide useful background for our new Strategic Housing Market Assessment due in Wakefield 2015/16.

Listening, learning and reporting back

In pulling this strategy together, we gathered the views of a wide range of people and organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors. The targets we’ve identified reflect many of the main messages from this consultation, including;

• Working with house builders and RHPs to provide more of the right kinds of affordable homes to buy and rent

• Supporting people affected by Welfare Reform changes to get and keep homes they can afford

• Building most new homes on land that has already been used before

• More smaller homes suitable for single and older people

Older persons’ consultation event

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• Helping home owners to maintain their homes

• Making better use of empty properties

• Tackling areas where poor quality homes and anti- social behaviour are disrupting neighbourhoods

• Providing advice on managing money and housing debts

Looking forward• As we implement the strategy, we’ll keep listening to the views and ideas of our partners and residents. We’ll also be updating the information we have to make sure we are aware of what is happening to housing need and the housing market, and that our plans are still on the right track.

• In 2015 we’ll be carrying out a new Strategic Housing Market Assessment to update our information on housing need and sharing what we find out

• In 2014 we’ll be developing a new Housing Market Tracker report that will be on the Council’s website for everyone to access

• In 2014 we’ll be updating our housing information on the Council’s website so it’s a more useful resource for residents and partners

• We’ll keep running our Responsible Landlord events at least twice a year, to share best practice and new initiatives with our accredited landlords

• We’ll be assessing our customer feedback information to see if there are ways we can improve what we do

• We’ll listen and act on feedback from our partners at our regular Partnership meetings

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Achieving our targets, and listening, learning and reporting back - our targets for the next 5 years

TARGET 29 Produce a new Housing Strategy Action Plan and report back each year

TARGET 30 Complete a new Strategic Housing Market Assessment by 2015/16

TARGET 31 Improve our understanding of the housing issues for young people and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-gender people

TARGET 32 Improve the housing information on the Council’s website

TARGET 33 Establish a new Housing Market Tracker Tool

We’d be very interested to know what you think about this new Housing Strategy. If you have any comments to share on this or any other local

housing issues, please send them to housingviews@wakefield.gov.uk

Thank you for reading!

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Registered Housing Provider (RHP) Homes in district

Contact details

Accent Yorkshire 291 01274 733 660 www.accentgroup.orgAnchor Older person’s housing 78 08457 758 5952 www.anchor.co.uk

Asset Trust Housing shared ownership 52 0845 013 2450 www.assettrusthousing.com

Chevin 1,318 0845 270 1088 www.chevinha.co.uk

Connect Housing Older person’s housing 8 01484 353 535 www.connecthousing.org.uk

Guinness Northern Counties 438 0845 605 900 www.guinnesspartnership.com

Habinteg 65 01274 853 160 www.habinteg.org.uk

Hanover 45 0800 280 2575 www.hanover.org.uk

Headrow shared ownership 4 0113 250 4337 www.headrow.org.uk

Housing 21 Older person’s housing 25 0345 606 6363 www.housing21.co.uk

Jephson 67 01422 373 855 www.jephson.org.uk

Leeds Federated 85 0113 386 1000 www.lfha.co.uk

Places for People 220 0113 285 8900 www.placesforpeople.co.uk

Riverside 189 0345 111 0000 www.riverside.org.uk

Sadeh Lok 135 01484 435 715 www.sadehlok.co.uk

South Yorkshire Housing 119 0114 290 0200 www.syha.co.ukWakefield & District Housing 30,904 0844 902 0202 www.wdh.co.ukYorkshire Housing 866 0113 243 4621 www.yorkshirehousing.co.uk

Supported Housing Providers

Bridge-It Housing 35 08458 622 633 www.bridge-ithousing.org.ukFoundation Housing 55 01924 247247 www.foundationuk.org

Informal Learning - 01924 882950 www.informal-learning.co.uk

Langley House Trust 12 01924 339413 www.langleyhousetrust.org

Riverside ECHG 77 01924 385722 www.riverside.org.uk

Saviour’s Trust - 01977 600335 www.thesaviourtrust.co.ukTurning Point - 020 7481 7600 www.turningpoint.co.uk

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Information Sources:

1. ONS - Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and Labour Force. September 2013 www.tuc.org.uk

2. Interim 2010 - based Subnational Populations

3. Wakefield Council, Housing Strategy outline and postal consultation, April 2013

4. DWP - Disability Benefit Claimants, February 2013

5. Arc 4 - Improving the Council’s understanding of the private sector in Wakefield, September 2013

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