To consider and comment on the Allocations Policy for Independent Living.

The Assistant Director for Housing introduced a report and presentation which set out proposals for the Independent Living Policy.  This Policy would become an appendix to the main Allocation Policy adopted by the Council in 2014 that provided a fair and transparent means to determine who should join the housing register, who has priority and the process followed to make a resident an offer of a property. The Independent Living Policy would apply to schemes where the Council provided care or support teams on site.

Successful events had been held to inform the Policy and 244 responses had been received in response to the consultation document.  Residents had indicated a desire for a community independent living life style with isolation featuring as the main reason for this choice. The Policy would ensure that residents who did not require care would be eligible for the scheme to help to create a thriving community.  Also proposed was a Community Charter that residents would be requested to  adopt and ensure their personal involvement.

A balanced care profile had been developed on the number of hours care received by a resident in a week, from low care needs at 5-10 hours, to high care needs at 21 hours and above. However, in response to the comments made in the consultation, the Assistant Director for Housing proposed to amend the low care needs criteria to 0-10 hours.

In light of the presentation and clarification sought, the following concerns were raised by Members:-

·         Whether the Independent Living Policy would apply to Aragon Housing Association? The Assistant Director for Housing advised that the Policy would apply and that the Council had a legal agreement to work in partnership with Aragon. The Policy would ensure small care schemes were more easily managed by officers. The Policy would also ensure positive market engagement with private developers on future requirements.

·         How the cost of purchased and shared ownership property was calculated and how the rentable value of a vacant property was measured? In response the Assistant Director for Housing advised that by law the Council could charge 80% of the market rent. A report on charges would be submitted to a future meeting that aimed to achieve affordable properties balanced with the need to maintain quality, but expensive buildings.

·         How officers would monitor the effectiveness of the Community Charter? The Assistant Director for Housing advised that checks on positive and social interaction contributions would be made, however, more work on this initial idea was required.

Recommended

1.    The Committee support the concept of independent living and the benefits it would bring to residents.

2.    Applauds the policy intent to recognise local people’s needs, to ensure the balance of needs was catered for and to building communities within the Council’s Independent Living Schemes.

3.    Recommended to the Executive that the minimum criteria for care and support be 0-10 hours instead of 5-10 hours.

4.    Note that the policy and the sales/lettings processes prescribed by the terms of the policy, will be an appendix to the council’s main allocations policy (forming the Council’s Allocations Scheme) and would be applied first to lettings/sales of apartments at Duke minster Court Dunstable.  The policy would then be reviewed, in advance of its application to sales and lettings at Greenfields, Leighton Buzzard.