Arising from a report of the Group Manager for Public Health and Regulatory Services, the Homes Policy Development Group had recommended that:
a) The revised Housing Assistance Policy 2019-22 attached in Annex 1 be approved.
b) The ECO Flex Statement of Intent (SOI) attached in Annex 4 associated with the revised Housing Assistance Policy be approved.
c) Delegated authority be given to the Group Manager for Public Health and Regulatory Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to make minor adjustments to the policy based on demand and local priorities.
d) Delegated authority be given to the Group Manager for Public Health and Regulatory Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to suspend some or all non-mandatory parts of the revised Housing Assistance Policy attached in Annex 1 (all elements of the Policy other than section 4.1 Disabled Facilities Grants) if adequate funding is not available.
The Cabinet Member for Housing outlined the contents of the report stating that the Better Care Fund intentionally provided more funding to Devon than was currently required to meet the demand for mandatory Disabled Facility Grants only. A wider policy was required to allow the Devon councils to spend the Better Care Fund on assistance that helped a wider range of households and met the broader Better Care Fund objectives.
The policy agreed in February 2018 substantially updated and replaced the previous Mid Devon Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy adopted in 2012. The Policy presented had been updated based on the experience of delivering the new policy over the past year.
In addition there had been changes to the ECO flex fund and therefore this needed to be reflected in the statement of intent (SOI). The SOI was a mandatory requirement setting out the specific terms for accessing the funding locally. This would allow the Council to continue to provide assistance to local residents to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their fuel bills. He outlined the main scope of the policy and the assistance contained within the policy.
RESOLVED that the recommendations of the Policy Development Group be approved.
(Proposed by Cllr R L Stanley and seconded by Cllr P H D Hare Scott)
Note: *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.