Mr Brown (Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Planning, Environment, Property and Finance) provided the following update on Shared Ownership following discussion at the last meeting:

Since the Committee last met, I have followed up the question raised over the management of Affordable Housing with the previous Strategic Director, Steve Ingram and his staff.

On 13th November I met with Alison Morgan and Mandy Gee (shared with SKDC) to ascertain the current position.

I was satisfied from that meeting that the Social Rented Housing was in good hands and that there were clear procedures to ensure that the Council’s Housing Policy was being implemented. You will have received an email yesterday from Cllr Walters about the status of the Social Rented Housing

However, this was not the case with the Shared Ownership Housing for a number of reasons not least due to a long term illness of a member of staff.

I asked for a proposal to be prepared to deal with this issue and this involve the following:-

The best solution is for every affordable home to be placed onto a single database and monitored by identified staff who will have responsibility for maintaining its accuracy.

This database would include all existing (social rent/affordable rent/intermediate rent/ shared equity/shared ownership) although the first priority would be the Shared Ownership Homes. All the new tenures now available under the banner of 'affordable housing' in the NPPF (Affordable Private Rent/ Starter Homes/ Discounted Market Sales Housing/Rent to Buy) would also be included. 

All these tenures are classed as 'affordable housing' but each tenure is unique in some form, including all the affordable rented.  Also 'alms house would need to be included as well as they are a form of affordable housing.

The database will identify the affordable property by its location, its size, any special features (disabled provisions), its tenure, the affordable housing provider (council, registered provider, private landlord) and any special or local lettings/sales requirements/conditions attached and how the affordable housing was provided (S.106, council site, registered provider site, charity etc).

New affordable housing provided through one of the above routes would be added to the database when completed and occupied.  The database to be updated at least annually by contacting the owner to update the details held, (rent to buy, that the property was now being purchased and from what date, shared ownership that the owner/occupier had 'staircased' affordable housing demolished/sold/redeveloped as no longer economically viable for the owner.  The records can then be changed/updated.

The registered providers are legally bound by their own governance, Homes  England and the Legal profession on the sale/resale of shared ownership properties and I am assured that all requirements (cascades to whom the properties can be sold and in what order) are being complied with.  I would however suggest, that to monitor the sales more closely that the 'nomination agreement' includes a paragraph on notification of sales/resales, confirming the purchasers name and address and why they were successful in their purchase, if there is two or more potential qualifying purchasers for a property, the registered provider will need to discuss with RCC to decide on the successful purchaser).  Any shared information will need to be covered by data protection between the registered provider and RCC, no third party may be privileged with this information (parish council, neighbours etc).

Third parties may make enquiries with the registered provider/council about ingoing tenants/purchasers etc. but will not be provided with information without the tenants/purchaser express permission in writing.  The only information that RCC or the registered provider, private landlord may give is to confirm that the correct procedures had been complied with.  If the enquirer is still not satisfied that the correct procedures have been followed RCC will investigate.

In the event that private landlords provide affordable housing, then there will be a process in place for nominations to be made to the landlord and an interview organised with the prospective tenant, the landlord and the council.

With the new tenures, there will be greater responsibility for monitoring sales and resales (eg. Discounted market sales - sold to purchaser at 80% open market value in perpetuity - therefore on resale the 80% OMV will need to be approved, along with any local connection/age/family size/income criteria attached.  These requirements will form part of the Deeds for the property but will still require monitoring by RCC.  The new tenures will require more stringent monitoring than social rented and shared ownership where there is a registered provider involved.

With regards to S.106's and affordable housing, Development Management department have agreed to provide detail on affordable housing from the S.106 agreements.

I have not had the opportunity of discussing this in detail with our newly appointed Deputy Strategic Director of Places, Rob Harbour as he only started a couple of weeks ago. It will be followed up at our Portfolio Holder Briefings.

Miss Waller (Chairman) thanked Mr Brown for the update.  Miss Waller added that where land was provided by the Parish it would be beneficial to have the future involvement of the Parish, with regards to sale/resale of affordable homes, written into the agreement with the provider.

Miss Waller requested that Affordable Housing be added to the internal audit plan for 2019/20.