Issue - meetings

This report seeks Members’ comments on and approval of the York Housing Strategy, the York Older People’s Housing Strategy for 2011-15 and the North Yorkshire Housing Strategy for 2010-15.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the refreshed Housing Strategy, Older People’s Housing Strategy and North Yorkshire and York Sub-Regional Housing Strategy be approved.

                        (ii)        That it be noted that the focus of the housing strategies is on priorities and actions that make the best use of existing homes, the prevention of homelessness and timely and comprehensive housing advice, as well as making the strongest possible case for capital investment to build new affordable homes.

REASON:      So that the draft strategies can be implemented, together with the action plans that support them.

Members considered a report which presented for their comments and approval draft versions of the York Housing Strategy (YHS) and York Older People’s Housing Strategy (OPHS) for 2011-15 and the North Yorkshire Housing Strategy (NYHS) for 2010-15.

The draft YHS, attached as Annex 1 to the report, summarised progress to date in delivering the previous strategy, identified the challenges ahead and set out six areas of work to be prioritised in order to achieve the vision of ‘creating homes, building communities’.  The draft OPHS, at Annex 2, aimed to reflect emerging challenges in delivering appropriate housing options, to ensure that older people could make informed housing choices and to enable older households to remain independent for longer.  The NYHS, at Annex 3, had been commissioned by the North Yorkshire & York Housing Board and included five strategic points that closely mirrored those in the YHS.

Officers referred to paragraph 29, the implications section of the report, and confirmed that there would be policy implications in the context of the report. The Equality Impact Assessments (EIA’s) undertaken in relation to the Strategies had been now been circulated and would be published with the agenda on the Council’s website.

Members were invited to comment on the strategies and either to approve them as written (Option 1), to make amendments before approval (Option 2) or not to approve them (Option 3).

Having noted the comments of the Labour Group Spokespersons on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the refreshed Housing Strategy, Older People’s Housing Strategy and North Yorkshire and York Sub-Regional Housing Strategy be approved. ^1.

                        (ii)        That it be noted that the focus of the housing strategies is on priorities and actions that make the best use of existing homes, the prevention of homelessness and timely and comprehensive housing advice, as well as making the strongest possible case for capital investment to build new affordable homes.

REASON:      So that the draft strategies can be implemented, together with the action plans that support them.