Issue - meetings

To receive the Housing Gateway Limited Annual Report 2016/17 from the Executive Director of Finance Resources and Customer Services.

 (Report No: 139)

This report should be considered in conjunction with Report No: 141 on the Part Two Agenda. 

Members are asked to note that this report was considered by Cabinet on 24 January 2018 and referred on to Council for information. 

Councillor Achilleas Georgiou proposed and Councillor Oykener seconded the Housing Gateway Annual Report 2016-17 from the Executive Director Finance, Resources and Customer Services.  (Report No: 139)

NOTED

1.               The report was considered in conjunction with Report No: 141 on the part 2 agenda.

2.               That the report was also considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 24 January 2018. 

3.               The issues highlighted by the Majority Group:  

a.     The Council were concerned to do the right thing in housing and to make sure that the residents were kept safe.  That was why the Council had agreed to find the money to bring in the safety measures arising as a result of the Grenfell disaster.  Unlike the Government. 

b.     Housing Gateway had been a great success and had benefited Council Tax players and residents in temporary accommodation.  Through Housing Gateway, the Council had been able to provide secure cost efficient local housing, instead of placing people in expensive temporary nightly paid accommodation.  They had set an exemplary standard for others to follow. 

c.     418 units had been provided and the Council had saved £2.5m to date

d.     The Government were failing to do enough to provide adequate housing.  This administration had found a way to buy properties in Enfield to enable Enfield people to live in Enfield.  The model works and many other authorities are now coming to Enfield to find out how they can set up similar schemes. 

4.               The issues highlighted by the Opposition: 

a.     The view that Housing Gateway had been a disastrous and embarrassing failure.  That it would not address the needs of the more than 3,000 residents in temporary housing, a huge problem.

b.     Concern that £2.5m over 4 years had been spent and paid for by borrowing. 

c.     Concern that less than was originally anticipated would be realised.  Cost pressures were increasing and the savings were paltry.

d.     Concern about the impact on first time buyers who were struggling and unable to raise the massive deposits needed to buy a property.  They could not compete with the buying power of the Council and were rapidly being squeezed out of the housing market. 

e.     Instead the Council ought to be building more homes and ensuring that private developers build their share or housing people in cheaper areas outside London. 

5.               The response of the Deputy Leader that the scheme was a success and he would like to hear what the Opposition would do instead.  Would they sell the properties and make people homeless?  Councils can’t build and the Government would not lift the borrowing cap. 

AGREED to note the contents of the Housing Gateway Annual Report 2016-17.