Housing Strategy 2016 to 2021 - Slough · Housing Strategy 2016 to 2021 3 The Housing Strategy is...

Housing Strategy 2016 to 2021

March 2017


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I am delighted to introduce the new Housing Strategyfor Slough.

We have ambitious plans for the success and growthof our borough over the next 20 years. We want Sloughto be a place where people work, rest, play and stay.We understand that supporting economic growthmeans providing a full range of housing opportunitiesin good quality homes that our residents can afford.

This Housing Strategy is an important building block ofour future, alongside our new Local Plan which iscurrently in development. This Strategy covers thenext five years but we are also looking further ahead,so that in 20 years time we have a range of housingand support services and the right infrastructure thatmatches the ambition and needs of our residents.

The population of Slough and the number of peopleliving here will grow dramatically over the next 20years. We need to provide housing both for peoplewho are already here and for those residents who willcome as a result of infrastructure developments suchas Crossrail. This means providing a balance ofhousing to rent and to buy, but with a particularemphasis on homes that are affordable for localpeople.

A good and secure home is central to the quality oflife. It affects physical and mental health, jobprospects, educational attainment and the ability forour residents to prosper. So although most residents inthe borough are well-housed, that is why we need totackle the known problem areas:

• One household in four in Slough rents their homefrom a private landlord. Most landlords provide agood and valuable service. But we need toaddress the minority of landlords who areexposing their tenants to poor housingconditions and ill health.

• We have a growing homelessness problem, someof it exported from London. It is vital for the sakeof the families concerned that we work harder toprevent homelessness occurring in the first place.

• We need to do more to meet the needs of peoplein our communities who have specific housingneeds, such as care leavers or older peopleneeding extra care.

We have a vital and valuable resource in the 6,000rented homes the council owns and we need to makesure that we nurture and improve those homes for thebenefit of existing residents and those that are tocome. We are committed to doing this despite thechanges that are currently being imposed by theGovernment. This means developing a clear vision forwhat our homes and neighbourhoods will look like inthe longer term.

This Housing Strategy commits the council to pro-actively promoting the development of new homes,including delivering or facilitating the provision of atleast 200 new homes each year However, the successof the Strategy will depend also on the activities ofothers, including private developers, statutoryagencies, the voluntary sector, housing associations,and our regeneration partner Slough Urban Renewaland residents themselves.

The council will continue to work hard with its manypartners to deliver all the action plans within ourHousing Strategy and I look forward to seeing themdelivered over the coming months and years.

Councillor Zaffar Ajaib, Cabinet Member for Housing and Urban Renewal

Foreword


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Page

Executive summary 3

Introduction 5

Theme 1: New housing supply 6

Theme 2: Private sector housing 17

Theme 3: Council homes 22

Theme 4: Homelessness and housing need 25

Theme 5: Special housing needs and vulnerable people 31

Implementation 37

Links with other strategies 37

Action plan 38

Contents


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The Housing Strategy is an important element of thecouncil’s plans to build a town where people want towork, rest, play and stay. It covers a five year periodbut we are also looking to the longer term, so that in20 years time we have a range of housing and supportservices that match the ambition and needs of ourresidents. The Strategy is presented under five themes.

Theme 1: New housing supply• The population of the borough is expected to grow

rapidly over the next 20 years by at least 15% to169,611 in 2036. When added to the existingdemand for homes this means Slough needs toprovide around 20,000 new homes by 2036.

• Rising house prices and private sector rents at over40% in the last two years mean that many residentscannot afford accommodation at market rates in theborough.

• The Government’s Strategic Housing MarketAssessment (SHMA) has identified the need forSlough to provide 927 new homes each year up to2036. The council will seek to achieve this ambitioustarget, but this depends on there being enough landand sites available for development in the borough.

• Whilst many of the new homes will be built byprivate developers and other agencies, the councilitself will be very pro-active in bringing forward sitesfor development. This Strategy commits the councilto delivering or facilitating an average of at least 200new homes each year over the life of this Strategyand beyond.

• A balance of new homes to rent and to own isrequired but a particular priority will be theprovision of a range of affordable housing for peoplewho cannot accommodate themselves in themarket. This will include homes for key workers.

• Our new Subsidiary Housing Companies namedHerschel Homes and James Elliman Homes will assistus in increasing housing supply. James EllimanHomes will also provide more housing options forvulnerable groups such as care leavers

Theme 2: Private sector housing • At least one Slough household in four rents their

home from a private landlord and the proportion isgrowing.

• We understand that most landlords provide a goodservice and standard of accommodation.

• However, national statistics show that the worsthousing conditions are found in the private rentedsector. Rogue landlords provide poor and unhealthyaccommodation.

• The council intends to actively support goodlandlords but will vigorously use its legal powers,including prosecution to make rogue landlordscomply with their obligations. It will investigate anew registration scheme for private landlords andimplement the expansion of mandatory HMOlicensing.

• The council will actively use its powers to bringempty properties back into use.

• Our two new Subsidiary Housing Companies will actas exemplar private landlords in the borough andprovide alternative housing options for homelessand vulnerable households and others on modestincomes to access homes in the private sector.

Theme 3: Council homes• The council owns over 7,000 tenanted and leasehold

homes. This housing stock is the council’s mostvaluable physical asset and plays an increasinglysignificant role in the borough in providingaccommodation for people on low or modestincomes and those with vulnerabilities.

• Major investment plans are in place which will meana £100 million spend on improving and maintainexisting homes over the next 7 years and thebuilding of at least 190 new council homes.

• Service improvements are planned through a newRepairs, Maintenance and Investment contract dueto start in 2017 and wider engagement with ourresidents.

Executive summary


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• The financing of council housing is in a period ofuncertainty, largely because of changes introducedby the Government. One of these is the forcedreduction in rents over the 4 year period from2016/17, which has removed substantial incomefrom the Housing Revenue Account (HRA.) A majorreview of the HRA Business Plan has taken placebecause of these factors, though our previousprudent assumptions appear robust.

• In collaboration with residents the council willundertake a major Options Appraisal to look at thefuture of the council’s homes over the next 20 years.

Theme 4: Homelessness and housingneed• Homelessness is increasing. More people are being

accepted as homeless and the number of families intemporary accommodation aside from Bed andBreakfast accommodation is rising very sharply.

• Rough sleeping is an emergent issue that may be onthe rise and a new collaborative approach andservice delivery is required.

• The increase in homelessness is mainly due to risingprices in the private sector where local people arebeing priced out of their accommodation and staticor reducing levels of welfare benefits which makesrents unaffordable for many.

• The problem is being exacerbated in Slough byhomeless families moving from London, mostlyplaced here by London Boroughs. Often this iswithout adequate notification to services in Sloughand this can lead to vulnerable people not fullyaccessing services and increasing demand on localresources.

• The council will develop a Preventing HomelessnessStrategy in partnership with the voluntary sectorand other agencies.

• We have ended the use of Bed and Breakfast forfamilies with children in the last 6 months and arecommitted to not use it going forward.

• The Scheme of Allocation for social housing will bereviewed to look at the priority homeless people andvulnerable groups receive.

• Our subsidiary housing company James EllimanHomes will acquire new accommodation to alleviatepressure on temporary accommodation.

• The council will work with Adult Social Care andother relevant agencies to monitor and address thehealth and care needs of vulnerable homelesspeople placed in Slough.

Theme 5: Special housing needs andvulnerable groups • Population projections show that the number of

people in Slough aged over 65 will grow by 40% inthe next 10 years. The number over 85 will groweven more sharply.

• The number of people with long-term healthproblems or a disability will also increase. There is aclear link between poor housing conditions and poorhealth.

• Although there is already a range of specialistaccommodation available significantly more will berequired to meet the growing demand. A greaterrange of options is also required, including forpeople who are currently owner-occupiers.

• The council will develop a long-term strategy forolder persons housing in the borough.

• Joint working between Housing and Adult SocialCare will deliver up to 3 new mixed use extra careschemes in the borough and other forms ofsupported accommodation.

• Our new Subsidiary Housing Company James EllimanHomes will be used to look at opportunities forspecialist and alternative accommodation to bedelivered locally and more cost-effectively for arange of vulnerable groups.

• There will be an adequate supply of suitableaccommodation for care leavers.


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Improving Housing quality and standards is a keycomponent of the council’s ambition to make Slough aplace to work, rest, play and stay over the next 20years. In order to meet the needs of existing residentsand to support the increase in population and jobsalongside the economic growth that will accompany it,we need to provide a broad and balanced range ofnew accommodation to own and to rent. We also needto improve the quality of existing housing.

Housing forms one of the major outcomes for theborough in the council’s new 5 Year Plan 2017-2021.Outcome 4 reads: “Our residents will have access togood quality homes”

This Housing Strategy will help to deliver this outcomeas well as the broader objectives of the overarchingSlough Joint Wellbeing Strategy to support and sustainour diverse communities. It draws together the keyhousing issues in the borough into one document andsummarises the council’s approach to addressingthem. It has been prepared in parallel with thedevelopment of the Local Plan which will set out theplanning and spatial framework to deliver thenecessary infrastructure for the borough in the periodup to 2036.

Our plans are ambitious, both for the borough and forthe provision of housing. We want to welcome thegrowth that is coming and harness it to fashion a highquality and successful environment where peoplewant to stay and have access to good qualityaccommodation that they can afford.

We recognise that success will involve many differentorganisations and agencies. Residents, privatedevelopers, statutory agencies, housing associationsand the voluntary sector all have an important part toplay. The council cannot by itself meet the significanthousing challenges facing the borough. We hope thatthis Strategy will form the framework against whichour partners can join together to improve housingopportunities for all the residents of the borough.

Structure of the strategyThe document is structured into five key themes:

• Theme 1: New housing supply - Ensuring the rightsupply and mix of new homes and increasingaffordable housing through the efficient use of landand capital resources.

• Theme 2: Private sector housing - Ensuring thatthe private housing sector provides sufficient goodquality market housing through support forlandlords and tenants and, where necessary, robustquality control and regulation.

• Theme 3: Council homes - Ensuring council homesare managed and maintained to a high standardand the council builds new homes for Sloughresidents.

• Theme 4: Homelessness and housing need -Reducing homelessness and rough sleeping througheffective prevention work.

• Theme 5: Special housing needs and vulnerablegroups - Ensuring that specialist accommodation isavailable for vulnerable people and those withspecial housing needs, for example, young people,older people and people, people with disabilities.

The Action Plans from each of the themes are boroughtogether at the end of the document in a format whichwill be used to monitor the strategy over the next fewyears.

Ensuring the right supply and mix of new homes andincreasing affordable housing through the efficientuse of land and capital resources.

Introduction


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1.1 This chapter describes the overall position onhousing and housing need in Slough and sets outthe current information on the need for newhomes. It also outlines the pro-active role thecouncil itself intends to play in ensuring thedelivery of new homes for residents.

Our objectives1.2. In setting out our Strategy on the supply of new

homes we have a number of objectives;

• To provide homes that will support economicgrowth and enable residents to build their livesand careers by staying in Slough;

• To meet the new build requirements set out inthe SHMA

• To provide a balance of new housing to ownand to rent to cater for the requirements of allincome groups;

• To provide affordable housing for the range ofincome groups who need it;

• To facilitate opportunities for households tomove to different types of housing for people atall stages in their life and as their circumstanceschange;

• To make the best use of resources in providingnew housing;

• To provide for new homes for special needsgroups and vulnerable people within thecommunity;

• To ensure that new homes are of high qualityand make a contribution to the quality of life inSlough.

Evidence base - key points• Slough has 54,123 homes accommodating

149,400 people with a predicted growth of afurther 18,000 people over the next 20 years.

• Housing supply: 52% of households own theirown home/have a mortgage; 28% are privaterented, 20% are socially rented homes (counciland housing association homes);

• Slough has high levels of overcrowding comparedto neighbouring areas;

• House Prices average £365,908 (Zoopla, February2017), with one of the highest rates of increase inthe country over the previous two years;

• Affordability; the ratio between average houseprices and average income levels is now 13:1.

• The Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA)indicates a requirement for 927 new homes peryear over the next 20 years.

• Pressure on housing supply is indicated by thegrowth of homeless households in temporaryaccommodation which has almost doubled toover 300 in the 2 years to January 2017;

• Housing services are under increasing pressurefrom households moving from London, includinghomeless households placed in Slough by LondonBoroughs;

• Land supply is a key constraint for building newhomes in Slough.

• Low development viability on brownfield siteshas traditionally restricted the capacity to provideaffordable housing and contributions tocommunity infrastructure. We intend to addressthis requirement through the new Local Plan andwe expect green field sites to deliver a substantialamount of affordable housing.

Theme 1 : New housing supply

Ensuring the right supply and mix of new homes and increasing affordable housingthrough the efficient use of land and capital resources.


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Background Population and housing in Slough

1.3 Slough has the most diverse population inBerkshire, which had already grown by 18%between 2001 and 2013. Slough had anestimated population of 147,821 in 2016 and thepopulation is currently estimated at 149,400. Thepopulation is projected to be around 169,611 by2036. During the lifetime of this 5 year strategythe population is expected to grow by 6,900(ONS). Overall it is anticipated there will be anincrease of around 20,000 households between2016 and 2036.

1.4 It is anticipated that these increases will beaccompanied by an increase in the workforce byat least 15,000 (ONS). Currently around 39,000people commute into Slough mainly for highskilled jobs and a similar number commute outmainly for lower skilled work out of a workingpopulation of around 80,000 people (ONS 2015business register and employment survey)

1.5 In keeping with the Local Plan, this strategyrecognises the importance of increasing the skillsof the local population to maintain Slough as amajor employment hub and the links between itseconomic regeneration and having a suitablesupply of quality housing to keep and attractskilled workers to the borough.

1.6 A particular characteristic of households in Sloughis the very high level of overcrowding. In the2011 Census 21% of households were living inovercrowded conditions compared to just 8.5%for England as a whole. This figure represented agrowing increase in overcrowding in Slough since2001. Allied to this is the very high level of"concealed" households; that is, householdsliving within other households (often withrelatives) and yet to form. The number of suchhouseholds has doubled since 2001 and is nowthe 3rd highest in the whole country. Slough alsohas a relatively high proportion of larger families,with 15% of households containing five or morepeople. The majority of overcrowded families livein the private rented sector.

1.7 Our recent surveys indicate that currently 52% ofhouseholds in Slough own their own home; 28%rent their homes from private landlords, and 20%are social housing tenants (renting from thecouncil or housing associations). Theseproportions have changed sharply since 2001,with a reduction in the proportion of householdsowning their own homes and a significantincrease in those housed in the private rentedsector.

1.8 Housing in Slough is rapidly becoming moreexpensive. In August 2016, average house pricesreached £304,000 with an affordability ratio of11:1 (Zoopla). By February 2017 the averagehouse price had risen again to £365,908 with anincreased affordability ratio of 13:1 (Zoopla). It isclear that Slough continues to experience some ofthe most rapid price increases in the country,which means homes for sale and private sectorrents are becoming more difficult for local peopleto afford.

1.9 This brief outline of the housing situation inSlough points to a future in which the borough islooking forward to rapid growth in thepopulation and the workforce, to add to existingpressures on the housing market. The very highlevels of overcrowding and the rapid rise in houseprices and rents suggest both that substantiallymore homes are required over the period of thisStrategy and beyond, and that the "affordability"of these homes will be a major consideration andchallenge for our residents going forward.

The strategic housing market assessment 1.10 The borough has the benefit of a major new

assessment of the need for new homes,published early in 2016. The Strategic HousingMarket Assessment (SHMA) is a detailed study ofthe Housing situation in Slough (andneighbouring authorities), drawing oninformation about current housing requirementsand future need arising from population andeconomic growth.


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1.11 Slough is set within a wider "Housing MarketArea" which also includes the Royal Borough ofWindsor and Maidenhead and SouthBuckinghamshire. The SHMA identifies the"objectively assessed need" to provide 927 newhomes year on year in Slough over the period2016 to 2036. This is higher than the council'scurrent annual target of 550 homes and higherthan either of the other two local authority areaswithin the Housing Market Area.

1.12 As part of its detailed analysis, the SHMA alsomade recommendations for the size of dwellingsto be provided, to be used as a guide onindividual developments. It follows that themajority of new homes required are family sized2 and 3 bed houses or flats.

1.13 The council accepts the analysis of the SHMA(subject to the analysis of housing need below)and the need for the provision of new homes onthe scale proposed. This is consistent with its longterm vision for the economic growth of Sloughand with its ambition to provide an adequatesupply of high quality accommodation for peoplewho want to live and stay in the borough.

1.14 This Strategy commits the council to maximisingthe supply of new homes as far as development issustainable and consistent with the otherobjectives of the new 5 Year Plan.

Other measures of housing need1.15 The urgency of the need to provide additional

housing at the recommended scale is amplifiedby consideration of local pressures that webelieve are not fully taken account of in theSHMA. The SHMA is concerned in particular withlonger–term economic and population trends,using nationally available, but inevitably broad-brush data sources. The council itself has accessto numerous other data sources which reflect therapidly increasing day to day pressuresexperienced by residents of the borough.

The housing register1.16 One such source is the Housing Register. From

January 2014 the council restricted access to itsHousing Register in order to reflect the limitedavailability of social housing and the fact thatmany people then on the Register had no realisticprospect of receiving an offer of social housing.Prior to that, around 8,000 households hadexpressed a wish to be considered for an offer ofsocial housing in the borough. Of these, 43%required 1 bedroom; 31% required 2 bedrooms,20% required 3 bedrooms and 5% needed 4bedrooms or more. Since 2014, the Register hasbeen reduced to a figure of around 2,500households. Even so, the shortage of affordableaccommodation still means a long wait forapplicants. In 2015/16, households had waitedan average of 2.65 years for a 1 bedroom home,3.9 years for a 3 bedroom home and over 5 yearsfor a home of 4 bedrooms or more.

Homelessness1.17 A further key issue is homelessness. The council

has statutory responsibilities to provideaccommodation for homeless households.Frequently, this is temporary accommodation,often in accommodation owned by privatelandlords. As families on low or modest incomesfind it increasingly difficult to accommodatethemselves in the private rented sector as a resultof rising rents, static wage rises, and falling levelsof benefits. These economic pressuresincreasingly emerge as homelessness.

1.18 The use of temporary accommodation istherefore a sensitive “bellweather” of thepressure being felt in the local housing market byhouseholds on lower or modest incomes.

1.19 In Slough, the use of temporary accommodationis rising rapidly. At 31 March 2015, the councilhad 156 households in temporaryaccommodation. A year later this had risen to225. By September 2016 the total in temporaryaccommodation stood at over 300 households. Atthis rate of change, the position in Slough willsoon be approaching that of a typical LondonBorough. Each year, the Department for


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Communities and Local Government publishesdata on the level of homelessness acceptances ineach local authority area, expressed as aproportion of the population. For 2015/16, therate for Slough was 4.43 per 1,000 of thepopulation, higher than the 3.04 for the LondonBorough of Hillingdon and only slightly behindthe Hounslow figure of 5.52.

1.20 However, this expresses only a part of the currentpressures on the borough. Published statisticsrefer to the placing authority, not where they areplaced. In reality, the pressure on the housingmarket in Slough is being made considerablyworse by movement outwards from London andfrom other neighbouring authorities in Berkshireand Buckinghamshire. Most of this is howevercaused by the placement by London Boroughsand other authorities of homeless households intemporary accommodation in Slough. Some ofthe issues arising from this for the householdsconcerned are discussed further under Theme 4:Homelessness and Housing Need.

1.21 Councils placing outside their area are requiredto notify the receiving authority of theplacement. Over the last 3 years Slough has beennotified of some 450 placements into theborough by 28 different authorities. Theseinclude all the other Berkshire authorities, SouthBucks and 11 different London Boroughs. It isbelieved that the true level of placements is farhigher than this and that in reality not allplacements are notified. It is believed this figureexcludes some instances where other authoritieshave purchased properties in Slough, have usedaccommodation on nightly-rates or where theyhave discharged their homelessness duty into theprivate sector. Our officers believe that it is likelythat the total number of placements into Sloughover this period is at least a 1,000 households oraround 335 per year.

Key workers1.22 The council is aware that there are some vital

services, for example in education, which arebeing hampered in their recruitment of key staffbecause of the difficulty of securing suitable andaffordable accommodation. It is often the case

that while such staff may not be able to afford tobuy a home or to pay market rents, they are alsoexcluded from the usual routes into affordablehousing and in particular social housing. There isa very limited stock of accommodation for thisgroup of workers, who may be able to affordrents which are higher than social housing rentsbut who cannot afford accommodation in themarket. The council wants to try and address thisthrough the work of this strategy. This could bevia new models of provision, which are beingconsidered by the new Subsidiary HousingCompanies, or provided through a smallerproportion of new affordable homes specificallyfor this group.

Heathrow expansion1.23 The Government has recently announced its

intentions on the expansion of Heathrow. This iswelcomed by the council particularly for thebenefits of new jobs and will become anincreasingly significant factor pointing to anincreased requirement for more new homes inthe borough.

1.24 The council believes that these special and livepressures on the housing market in Slough willnot fully have been taken into account in theSHMA and that they amplify the need foradditional accommodation at the recommendedlevel.

Affordable housing1.25 Market housing in Slough, both to rent and to

buy is becoming more expensive. There has beena 40% increase in average house prices over thelast 3 years with a 20% increase in the last 12months alone. As noted above, the ratiosbetween prices and incomes are wideningrapidly and it is becoming more difficult forhouseholds on even average incomes to findaccommodation in the market. This position isunlikely to ease during the lifetime of thisstrategy.

1.26 Housing demand is set to increase further withthe expansion of Heathrow, the regeneration ofthe Town Centre, the introduction of Crossrailoffering reduced commuter journey times intocentral London and the promise of future fast raillinks with Birmingham and the North with HS2.Substantial numbers of new homes are alreadyplanned as part of Slough’s regeneration, butdemand for new housing will also continue toincrease due to the growth in employmentopportunities and population in the borough. It istherefore important that other opportunities forhousing development are identified and existinghousing committed housing sites are encouragedto come forward for delivery, especially duringthe next five years.

1.27 While it will be important to achieve a balance inthe new housing which is provided the councilsees it as a high priority to provide sufficientaffordable housing to allow people to establishthemselves and to stay in Slough even if theycannot afford market accommodation. Theinformation earlier in the chapter points to thewide-ranging evidence that significantly moreaffordable housing is required. The Local Plansets a target that 40% of all dwellings in all verylarge housing developments built in Sloughshould be “affordable” to help meet local housingneed. The ability to deliver this through planningapplications has been hampered by lowdevelopment values and viability. The review ofthe local plan will need to reassess the viability ofthe local plan requirements as part of anexamination of the deliverability and soundnessof the plan.

1.28 Over the last few years the term “affordable” hasbeen used in variety of different ways asillustrated below.

The SHMA and affordable housing1.29 The SHMA itself includes a considerable amount

of material on the need for additional affordablehousing. It uses the National Planning PolicyFramework (NPPF) definition that affordablehousing is “social rented”, “affordable rented” or“intermediate” housing provided to eligiblehouseholds whose needs are not met by the

market. “Intermediate” housing is taken toinclude shared ownership and rented housingprovided to households who can afford to paybetween 80% of market rates and the full marketrate. “Social rented” homes are provided by LocalAuthorities or Housing Associations at or below“Target” rents. “Affordable rented” housingprovided by Housing Associations or localcouncils at rents between Target rents and afigure which is 80% of the market value. In otherwords, the SHMA discusses affordable housing asaccommodation available to a wide range ofincome groups whose common factor is that theycannot afford to house themselves in the market.

1.30 The SHMA report also makes some generalassessments on the annual household incomerequired to purchase or rent in Slough withoutadditional subsidy. For purchase in the lowestquartile of the market the figure is £50,000 (thisassessment is before the sharp rises in houseprices in the year to August 2016.) For rental theequivalent figures are; lower quartile privaterent, £23,100; affordable rent, £18,500; lowerquartile social rent, £15,000. Across the studyarea as a whole, one fifth of households had anincome of below £20,000 per year and a furtherone third of between £20,000 and £40,000.

1.31 By making assumptions about what proportionof their income households could be expected tospend on their accommodation the SHMA is ableto make a broad assessment of the scale of howmany of the households requiringaccommodation in Slough over the period to2036 would need “affordable” housing to thisdefinition. Looking at the likely demand andcomparing this with the supply of existingaffordable housing over that period the SHMAquotes a net requirement of 671 affordablehomes per year. It emphasizes that this cannot becompared directly with the overall requirementof 927 units per year because it has been derivedthrough a different method.


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1.32 Equally the SHMA suggests that this cannot bedirectly applied as a target and that it needs to bebalanced with a range of other issues, not leastwhether it is practicable and viable to provideaffordable homes on this scale. Nevertheless, it isa useful marker for the fact that a significantproportion of households looking to build theirlives in Slough will be unable to do so with outsome intervention that brings their housing costsbelow market levels.

1.33 The SHMA also make some broadrecommendations about the type of affordablehousing to be provided. It suggests thatapproximately 20-25% of the need for affordablehousing could be met by “intermediate” renthomes that are between 80% of market rent andfull market rent. The remainder would be met byrented housing at 80% of market levels or below.It does not make recommendations about theappropriate split between “social rent” and“affordable rent” due to the complexity of therelationship between the two, the changingnature of the funding arrangements and the roleof the availability of Housing Benefit to supportrent payments by households on low incomes.

Starter homes and intermediate housing1.34 In addition to revised funding arrangements for

affordable housing in recent years theGovernment has introduced the concept ofStarter Homes. The original proposal for theprovision of 20% of new homes on each newdevelopment to be “starter homes” for sale hasnow been modified by government in their WhitePaper (February 2017) and a range of affordableand intermediate rent products such as rent tobuy, traditional shared ownership, anddiscounted market renting (Build to Rent)schemes are being developed. These homes willcount towards the affordable housingcontribution on larger developments and themarket discount will need to come from the samepot of developer contributions that is used forother affordable housing and infrastructureneeded to address development.

1.35 These affordable housing products may in futurebe the route through which the assessmentwithin the SHMA of the need for homes atbetween 80% and full market levels will be met.They may also become the primary route intohome-ownership for households aspiring to owntheir own home for the first time. The council willneed to take account of the potential contributionof these Intermediate products as they develop.

The council’s approach1.36 The council wishes to support the future growth

and development of the town through theprovision of a balance of new housing whichallows residents to build their lives and stay inthe town and which also provides opportunitiesto move on to a range of other accommodationas their careers and circumstances develop andchange. This means planning for a range of highquality affordable housing as well meeting theneeds of those who will look to the privatemarket for their accommodation.

1.37 The council is determined to maximise theprovision of affordable housing. This will comefrom a mixture of council land and initiativescombined with private developments via theplanning system. Primarily, new affordablehomes will be to rent, although the council isnow looking for a wider range of opportunities tofacilitate low cost home-ownership and a rangeof affordable rent products to meet theaspirations of local residents to remain in theborough and have greater access to lower costhome-ownership and secure rentedaccommodation. This may be helped by thegrowing range of Intermediate housing productsas outlined in the new White Paper. These includeBuild to Rent, Rent to Buy, Shared Ownership andStarter Homes.

1.38 In thinking about the cost of affordable rentedhomes there are a number of considerations;

• First, the viability of individual schemes in anera where there is no longer national subsidyavailable for affordable rented housing.Depending on the site, the provision ofaffordable housing will be easier in some



places than in others. There will often be atrade-off to be made between the number ofaffordable units which can be achieved and thelevel of rents. Viability may also vary betweenparts of the borough. Accommodation at lowerrent levels may be more viable on greenfieldsites than on Town Centre or complexbrownfield sites. As stated, we expect greenfield sites to deliver a substantial amount ofaffordable housing and;

• Second, many of the households seekingaccommodation are on low incomes andcannot afford rents even at “affordable rent”levels without subsidy;

• Third, however, the SHMA has shown thatamongst the households which would belooking to access affordable rented housingthere is a wide spread of incomes, includingfamilies who could afford to pay rents up to80% of market rates’ but who cannot afford tohouse themselves in the market. Thesehouseholds commonly do not have access tocouncil or housing association accommodationthrough traditional routes and there is a verylimited stock of accommodation in the boroughavailable to this group. In this sense they arecaught between their inability to access themarket and the limited likelihood of everaccessing social rented housing.

1.39 Balancing these factors together the council willtherefore promote affordable rented housing at arange of rents, from traditional social housingrents to rents that are within the reach ofhouseholds on middle incomes. However, itwould not normally wish to see new affordablerented housing provided at rents above the LocalHousing Allowance levels which are accessible topeople claiming Housing Benefit. This is currentlyaround 60-70% of market levels for most sizes ofproperty.

1.40 As part of the delivery of this Strategy the councilwill develop a new policy on Affordable Housing.On rented homes, this will develop the ideasalready promoted in London, Manchester andelsewhere to encompass a range of rents. Thisnew policy will introduce a Slough Living Rentbased on average local incomes. This will sitalongside a Slough Affordable Rent, akin toexisting Target rents in social housing. We willalso expand the council’s existing affordablehousing policies to encompass the developingmodels of Intermediate housing and apply themto the local situation in Slough.

Delivery of new homesPerformance in recent years 1.41 The task in delivering new homes on the scale

envisaged by the SHMA is challenging. However,performance in recent years demonstrates thatthis may be achievable. In 2015/16, across allhousing tenures, 789 new homes werecompleted, well in excess of the Local Plan targetof 550. This followed a total of 507 in 2014/15.The great majority of delivery in these years wason large sites.

Projected future delivery 1.42 The Slough Housing Trajectory estimates the

number of homes likely to be completed over theperiod to 2036. Over the next 5 years, to2020/21, the availability of known large sitesmeans that delivery is likely to average between700 and 750 homes per year. In the 3 yearsbeyond that the combination of known largesites and other "core options" shows the prospectof reaching the SHMA target of 927 homes peryear, taking account of how long it may in realitytake to build our strategic sites. In the years afterthat, i.e. from 2024/25 onwards, the scarcity ofsites in Slough appears to make the prospect ofmeeting the SHMA target difficult or impossiblewithin the boundaries of the borough.



Support for private sector delivery1.43 The council recognises that the majority of new

homes provided in the borough will be built byprivate sector developers. We will support thedevelopment process through the Planningservice via the provision of timely guidance aboutthe preferred mix and tenure of homes onindividual developments. This will include therequired contribution of affordable housingproducts from private sector developers as this iswhere we expect the majority of new affordablehousing development to come from. Whereappropriate, we will support private sectordevelopment through assistance via siteassembly and asset management, especiallywhere the council has neighbouring or ancillaryassets that can used to facilitate development.This will particularly be the case where activeasset management can achieve widerregeneration benefits for Slough over and abovethe provision of new homes. Where possible, thecouncil will look to use its Subsidiary HousingCompanies (see below) to support andencourage private sector development of newhomes.

A leading and pro-active role for the council1.44 The council has already recognised that in order

to achieve the delivery of the new homesrequired for the people of Slough now and in thefuture, it will itself need to act as the leadingplayer and catalyst for development. It will not besufficient to rely on the private sector to deliverthe homes required. It is already aggressivelypromoting and achieving the delivery of newhomes through a variety of mechanisms. It is acommitment of this Housing Strategy that thecouncil will directly facilitate the delivery of anaverage of 200 new homes per year during thelife of this strategy and the Local Plan. This will bethrough a combination of direct delivery andprovision by partners on behalf of the council.These homes will be of a range of tenures butwith the main emphasis on affordable housing.

Development on council-owned land - general fundsites1.45 The council is already directly using surplus

General Fund land for the provision of newhomes;

• At Ledgers Road, Chalvey, the handover of 73new homes began in the Autumn of 2016. 23 ofthese will be passed as social rented housing tothe council's Housing Revenue Account, whilethe remainder are for market sale to localpeople who currently live in the SL1,2,and 3postcode areas and excluding buy to letlandlords;

• A further scheme of 103 homes at WexhamNurseries will provide 33 homes for thecouncil’s affordable rented stock and 70 homesfor sale also restricted to local people on thesame basis to ensure that the council’s newhousing supply is for local people in line withour 5 Year Plan.

Council land - housing revenue account sites1.46 The council intends to maximize the development

potential on its own land held within the HousingRevenue Account (HRA) A new Business Plan forthe HRA was agreed by the council’s Cabinet inOctober 2016 which outlines;

• A programme of 190 new council homes will bedelivered in the years up to 2019/20 onexisting identified sites, using a combination ofretained Right to Buy receipts, S106contributions and council funding;

• The council is looking for further sites, such asunder-used garages to allow for an increase inthe scale of the programme;

• The council is looking actively at the scope forwider estate renewal. This follows successfulregeneration schemes at Common RoadLangley and at Britwell. The overall aim wouldbe to increase the amount and quality ofresidential accommodation, improve theoverall quality of the environment and ensurethere is an appropriate mix of house types andtenures.



• The next major scheme will be at the Tower andAshbourne House tower blocks, which are alreadybeing decanted prior to demolition, a total of 120flats. An appraisal of the site is currently beingcarried out to determine the best mix for the futuredevelopment while maximising the number ofreplacement units.

1.47 The new HRA Business Plan also commits thecouncil to undertake a fundamental OptionAppraisal of its housing stock, for completion byDecember 2017. This will help determine thefuture of existing homes and estates over thenext 15 to 20 years and look at how overallquality can be improved while maximizing theoverall potential of HRA land. It is estimated thatover the 15 years from 2016 a net gain ofapproximately 1,000 housing units can beachieved on HRA land.

Joint venture delivery; Slough Urban Renewal1.48 The council is confident it can deliver its

ambitious programme for the delivery of newhomes. We have established Slough UrbanRenewal (SUR), a joint venture with MorganSindall (MSIL) which has already provensuccessful in developing new homes for both saleand rent. The sites at Ledgers Road and Wexhamare current examples. SUR is also delivering arange of community projects, including vitally-needed extensions to schools. The council seesSUR as a key vehicle in enabling it to deliver newhomes in the next few years, through a variety ofmeans.

1.49 For example, it has been a long-term ambition ofthe council to create a high-quality, mixed-useresidential scheme at the end of the Slough Armof the Grand Union Canal. To date, theredevelopment of this area has been stalled dueto an inability to assemble land required to meetthe Planning objective of delivering acomprehensive scheme. In October 2016 thecouncil’s Cabinet agreed to grant an option to SURto redevelop Slough Basin in partnership withWaterside Places, the joint venture entered intoby the Canal and Rivers Trust. This will provide240 new homes.

Site assembly and pro-active asset management1.50 Slough Basin is an example of where the council

has used its strategic role to promote theassembly of sites and actively used the leverageof its own assets to help deliver development andregeneration. The council is working on this basison other sites in the borough and will continue todo so in order to deliver the development of thenew homes required either directly, via SUR or bythe private sector.

Strategic acquisition 1.51 The council has already developed the capacity

for the strategic acquisition of sites. Given theland constraints already referenced in theHousing Trajectory it will actively look foropportunities for acquisition, either directly or viaSUR, in order to assist in the delivery of sitesidentified in the local plan. It will do so inparticular to increase the delivery of affordablehousing.

One public estate 1.52 Combined with our assertive asset management

approach we have a shared ambition with ourpublic sector partners to make efficient andproductive use of our joint estates and to see landand property as an enabler for growth andservice transformation. We will be pooling dataon asset holdings and developing joint plans withour partners. One current example is at UptonHospital, where there is the potential to releasesurplus land and buildings which can be reusedfor housing and new enterprise, boosting localjobs, growth and house building in the longerterm.

Horizon scanning for large sites 1.53 We will co-ordinate the work of this Strategy with

that on the emerging Local Plan to look toidentify large sites which are suitable for theprovision of significant numbers of homes in themedium and long term. One such example arethe Akzo-Nobel (ICI) and National Grid (gasworks) sites which potentially have the capacityfor up to 1,400 new homes.



Subsidiary housing companies1.54 The council has established two wholly-owned

Subsidiary Housing Companies - Herschel Homesand James Elliman Homes. Two companies wererequired in order to allow for intervention indifferent areas of the market.

The companies are in the business of acquiringexisting or newly-built homes. They cancontribute to the provision of homes in a numberof ways;

• Providing a potential buyer for newdevelopments, for example at sites such asSlough Basin or those to be developed byprivate developers;

• Bringing empty properties back into use;

• Using existing accommodation to provide moreaffordable housing;

• Providing specialist accommodation forparticular groups, for example care leavers orkey workers.

Compulsory purchase 1.55 Elsewhere in this Strategy we set out the council’s

determination to pro-actively intervene toimprove standards in the private rented sector.This will include the use of compulsory purchasepowers to increase the supply of homes bybringing long-term empty properties back intouse. As an example, the council’s Cabinet inNovember 2016 approved a proposal to issueCPOs on 7 long-term void properties in theborough and this action is already provingeffective and has set the direction of travel for thedelivery of this strategy.

LAPP (Local Authority Partnership Purchase Scheme)1.56 The council has introduced the LAPP scheme. This

is a modern shared ownership scheme to helplocal people buy a home in the borough. It isaimed at buyers who can afford mortgagerepayments, but who cannot afford to buy aproperty outright, or who may not have the largedeposit often required. The scheme is availableon properties for sale up to the value of £400,000and within the Slough postcode area.

LAPP helps people to buy up to 70% share of ahome by obtaining up to a 90% loan to valuemortgage on their share. Slough Borough Councilwill buy the remaining 30%. The buyer will thenpay rent to the council for this share of theproperty. It is hoped that the scheme caneventually be expanded to help 100 Sloughhouseholds into home-ownership.

Partnership with housing associations 1.57 The council recognises that Housing Associations

already make an important contribution towardsHousing in the borough and in particular theprovision of social housing. 7% of households inSlough rent their homes from RegisteredProviders (Housing Associations.) We alsorecognize that Associations have the potentialand the capacity to deliver new homes that theborough requires, including affordable housing,but that this potential is not currently being fullyexploited. We therefore intend to re–invigoratethe partnership arrangements with local HousingAssociations both to encourage the developmentof new affordable homes and to involve themmore fully in programmes to improve the qualityof life in the borough.

Provision for special needs groups 1.58 The council is committed to improving housing

options for vulnerable groups ensuringavailability within local communities particularlyfor young people including care leavers, olderpeople and people with disabilities as required.The council will be working with its varioushealth and other partners to develop new andrelevant accommodation options where there isan identified need. It is a specific commitment ofthis Housing Strategy to facilitate the provision ofmore extra care units alongside the developmentprogramme to maximise the delivery of newhomes.



The Local Plan and land constraints1.59 This chapter has demonstrated that the council

has adopted a vigorous and interventionistapproach in seeking the delivery of new homesto own and to rent. It accepts the high level ofhousing need and will actively seek to meet thenew homes target set out in the SHMA. This is toensure that existing and future residents ofSlough have access to good quality homesappropriate to their needs. The council willmaximise the use of its own land and activelyacquire sites, either directly of through otherdelivery vehicles, in order to increase the leveland rate of completions. It will work positivelythrough the planning process to encourage welldesigned developments that enhance the builtenvironment. It will build partnerships with otheragencies, including private developers, housingassociations and other public sector bodies toassist delivery on other potential housing sites. Itwill use its strategic powers to assemble sites andbuild partnerships to allow development to bebrought forward. Over the period of this Strategythere are sites and opportunities alreadyidentified which will deliver significant numbersof new homes.

1.60 In the medium and longer term, the pipeline ofsuitable housing sites may require furthersupport to ensure that they come forward and inorder to deliver the necessary housing. It isanticipated that the review of the Local Plancurrently underway will seek to address thisissue. Considerations include the question ofwhether it is feasible to meet all of the housingneed up to 2036 within the borough boundariesor whether it will be necessary to pursue optionsfor housing in other local authorities. The optionfor substantial housing to be located in SouthBuckinghamshire, possibly taking the form of anew “garden suburb” will require co-operation ofthe local authority and may also require0considerable master planning input.

Action plan• Seek to enable the provision of 927 new units of

housing per year for Slough in line with the SHMA.

• Require private developments to includeaffordable housing via the planning system

• The council will directly deliver or facilitate aprogramme 200 units per year of new housingover the life of this Strategy and beyond, includingaffordable housing.

• Develop a new Affordable Housing policy,including the introduction of a Slough Living Rent.

• We will maximize the provision of affordablehousing on council-owned land through infilldevelopment and estate renewal, including thenet gain of 1,000 units on HRA land over theperiod 2016 to 2031.

• Prioritise available funds and council assets toprovide for the delivery of affordable housingschemes in partnership with SUR and HousingAssociations.

• Work with private and public sector partners toacquire and assemble sites to facilitate thedelivery of new housing.

• Improve partnership arrangements with housingassociations to facilitate the delivery of newaffordable homes

• Extend our programme of council mortgagelending through our existing LAPP scheme.

• Produce a plan to improve housing opportunitiesfor key workers.

• Provide new homes for particular groups withinthe community where required, for examplethose needing extra care or care leavers.

• Use our Subsidiary Housing Companies to assist inproviding homes for vulnerable groups within thecommunity.

• Pro-actively use powers to increase the supply ofhomes by bringing long-term empty homes backinto use.



Objectives2.1 The council wants to ensure that Slough has good

quality, affordable private sector housing whichmeets the needs of residents, improving health,well-being, and social mobility ensuring thatSlough is a thriving place to live and work. Toachieve this we have the following objectives;

• Improve the condition of private sector homesthrough assistance to residents and landlordsand by robust regulation where necessary toensure health and safety standards are met;

• Improve the standard of the management ofprivate sector homes in the borough andreduce overcrowding;

• Support residents to access affordable, well-managed private sector homes;

• Prevent homelessness and unnecessaryevictions through timely and effectiveintervention with landlords;

Evidence base - key points• The council has commissioned the Building

Research Establishment (BRE) to do a full surveyof private sector housing in Slough. The privatesector provides 80% of homes in Slough with 52%in owner occupation and 28% in the PrivateRented Sector (PRS).

• Most landlords provide a good service andstandard of accommodation but a minority arerogue landlords who provide unsatisfactory andunhealthy accommodation.

• In Slough, overcrowding is a key issue forlandlords to address as it is prevalent even ingood quality private rented homes.

• Nationally, bad housing conditions are mostcommonly found in the private rented sector. Onethird do not meet the Government’s DecentHomes Standard.

• The number of service requests from privaterented housing, including complaints andrequests for advice, rose from 683 in 2014/15 to918 2015/16.

• It is estimated that there are around 1,849Houses in Multiple Occupation in the borough.

• 68 HMOs are currently licensed under MandatoryLicensing and a further 42 HMOs under theChalvey Additional Licensing Scheme. Many morewill come under the proposed new licensingscheme.

• 1,172 dwellings in the private rented sectorcurrently have category 1 HHSRS hazards. Thisequates to 8% of properties which is lower thanthe national average. The total cost of mitigatingcategory 1 hazards in Slough’s private sector stockis estimated to be £11.3 million.

• The average SAP rating for all private sectordwellings in Slough is 60, which is better thanboth England (57) and South East (58).

• 5% (2,156) of private sector dwellings and 3.8%(576) of private rented dwellings in Slough areestimated to have an EPC rating below band E.

• In the private sector stock as a whole there are anestimated 13,319 dwellings with un-insulatedcavity walls and 7,452 dwellings with less than100mm of loft insulation.

• The council’s Housing Regulation Team iscurrently working on 14 long-term emptyproperties.

Theme 2 : Private sector housing

Ensuring that the private rented sector (PRS) provides sufficient good quality markethousing through support to landlords and tenants and, where necessary, robustregulation and quality control.



• Develop new and stronger partnerships with arange of agencies including Adult Social Care,Public Health and the CCG to better supportvulnerable and disabled home owners andtenants to live independently in safe, secureand warm homes;

• Increase the supply of private sector housing bybringing empty properties and abandonedcommercial buildings back into residential use;

• Support residents to access affordable, wellmanaged private rented homes throughbuilding effective partnerships with locallandlords and increasing housing supplythrough our subsidiary housing companies.

Background2.2 The great majority of residents in Slough live in

privately-owned homes, both owner-occupiedand privately-rented. Private housing is thereforea critical resource for the borough, its residentsand its economy. To a large degree the privatesector satisfies the requirements of manyresidents to own their own homes or to occupyaccommodation which is suitable for them atparticular times in their lives.

2.3 As in most other parts of the country theproportion of Slough households living inprivately-rented homes has been increasing. Thelatest information suggests that over 28% ofhouseholds now rent their home from a privatelandlord, much higher than the national figure of17%. Most landlords provide good quality homeswhich are well-managed and cater for a widerange of income groups. The largest issueaffecting private sector homes remainsovercrowding due mainly to economiccircumstances as many households are unable toafford a property of the right size, particularlylarger families who need three bedrooms ormore.

2.4 The council itself has a range of partnershiparrangements with private landlords, particularlywhere it is preventing families becominghomeless or placing residents in private rentedaccommodation as an alternative to expensive

and unsuitable Bed & Breakfast hotels. Privatesector homes are a vital resource when there isnot enough permanent social housing available.

2.5 However, while most private sector homesprovide a good standard of accommodation,there are also some severe problems;

• Nationally, conditions in the private rentedsector are worse than in other housing tenures.A third do not meet the Government’s DecentHomes Standard;

• Many tenants in Slough are living inovercrowded conditions;

• Research by Shelter nationally shows that overhalf of tenants had experienced at least one ofthe following problems over the previous 12months; mould or damp; leaking roofs orwindows; electrical hazards; pest infestations;a gas leak or inadequate heating. 10 % oftenants reported their health has been affectedin the last year because their landlord has notdealt with repairs and poor conditions in theirproperty and 9% of parents said their children’shealth has been affected;

• The Building Research Institute (BRE) hasestimated that that poor housing is costing theNHS over £1.4 Billion per year nationally;

• Poor housing conditions, particularly associatedwith the private rented sector, have an adverseeffect on public health and well-being andexacerbate health inequalities;

• The energy efficiency standard of a home andinadequate heating systems can lead to fuelpoverty for low income households and furtherexacerbate the health effects of living in poorquality housing;

• For a number of elderly, disabled or vulnerableresidents, particularly owner-occupiers, theynow need support or adaptations to theirhomes to allow them to continue to liveindependently;

• In a small minority of cases, landlords aredeliberately keeping their properties empty.Empty homes are a wasted resource and can



be a major source of nuisance to local residents.The council is proactively working on 14 sitesand 7 of these are currently at an advancedstage towards a Compulsory Purchase Order.

Dealing with rogue landlords2.6 The council will target rogue landlords who

exploit vulnerable people by renting out unsafe,illegal and overcrowded structures. We will useour stock modelling and other availableintelligence to take robust action against roguelandlords who persistently break the law. We willdevelop a pro-active programme of inspectionsof properties rented by rogue landlords andestate agents and use all our statutory powers toensure they comply with their legal duties. Thecouncil has set up a multi-agency taskforce helptackle this issue and will not hesitate to use thefull force of the law to eliminate rogue landlordsfrom Slough.

Landlord registration scheme 2.7 Many councils in London, the South East and

other cities across the UK have concluded thatone of the most effective ways to improve theprivate rented sector, protect tenants andreasonable landlords alike; would be mandatoryregistration of rented properties. This wouldpromote ‘letting properties’ as a business andhelp the council to have a programmed andmethodical approach in regulating the worstcondition properties and drive out the rogue andthe criminal elements from the market. We willbe investigating the feasibility of introducingborough wide registration of all rentedproperties. This would mean that for a relativelysmall fee the landlords register their propertieswith the council. This would then give landlordsaccess to expert advice and support by councilOfficers as to how they should ensure they makebest use of their investment.

Regulation of HMOs2.8 The council has statutory responsibilities to

ensure there are good standards ofaccommodation in the private sector andregulatory and enforcement powers available toassist in achieving this objective. The use of these

powers of regulation will be extended followingthe announcement in October 2016 thatGovernment will expand the mandatory licensingof Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). Asindicated, a further 215 HMOs will come underour proposed new licensing scheme.

Dealing with anti-social behaviour (ASB)2.9 The Housing Regulation Team in partnership with

Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers take aholistic approach in dealing with ASB. ASB is atenure blind issue and affects the residentsacross the board. Investigations of ASB oftenexpose a range of housing related issuesincluding overcrowding, hoarding, unfit premisesand unsafe/illegal business activities such as dogbreeding. We have included the reduction of ASBas part of a Housing Neighbourhood KPI. We willbe recording and monitoring the impact of ourapproach in reducing ASB and associatedcriminal activities which will be reported to theNeighbourhoods Scrutiny Panel

Improving data on private rented housing 2.10 The council has recently completed a full review

of privately rented homes in the borough usingresearch carried out by the Building ResearchEstablishment (BRE.) The main outcomes of theresearch achieved were;

• For the first time, a fully up to date picture ofprivate rented homes in the borough;

• To identify and highlight the extent of the main“Category 1” hazards found in homes in Slough.This is a hazard that presents a serious andimmediate risk to a person’s health and safety;

• To identify where to target resources to achievethe greatest health outcomes, for example byrelieving excessively cold homes, fuel poverty,dampness and overcrowding.

• To collate sufficient data to identify a range offactors related to private sector housing atward level.

Energy efficiency2.11 The private rented sector has the highest

proportion of poorly-insulated, energy-inefficientbuildings. The Energy Act 2011 contains powerssuch that from 2018 landlords should ensuretheir properties meet a minimum EnergyPerformance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or thatthey have installed the maximum package underthe Green Deal.

2.12 The council will use the evidence from its BREstock modelling to build a business case forbringing external investment to improve energyefficiency into all of the housing stock in theborough, particularly the older private sectorstock in the owner-occupied and private rentedsectors.

Using the RMI2.13 The start of the council’s new Repairs,

Maintenance and Investment (RMI) contract inDecember 2017 provides an opportunity for thecouncil to provide a package of support to privatelandlords and help them to provide a betterstandard of accommodation.

2.14 This will also make it more attractive for thelandlords concerned to offer their properties tothe council rather than to London Boroughs ashas happened on a large scale over the last fewyears. In conjunction with our ambition to bringin external funding for energy efficiency, the RMIcan also help to tackle fuel poverty amongstolder or vulnerable residents. As a deliveryvehicle, this contract would help complete thepackage from funding perspective alongside ourHome Improvement Agency which providesmuch needed aids and adaptations to help ourvulnerable and disabled residents maintain theirindependence and stay in their own homes.

Prevention of homelessness 2.15 The Housing Regulation Team plays a key role in

stemming the flow of people presenting ashomeless due to conditions in their rentedaccommodation. The council has a statutory dutyto investigate and remove Category 1 Hazardsfrom privately rented accommodation. Thistogether with ensuring that any private rentedaccommodation is suitable and not overcrowdedassists the council’s Homelessness preventionactivities. Through this strategy we aim tostrengthen our effort in Homelessnessprevention and increase the supply of goodquality affordable housing in the private rentedsector and through our subsidiary housingcompany James Elliman Homes – See Theme 4;Homelessness and Housing Need

Primary authority2.16 The purpose of the Primary Authority (PA)

scheme is to allow businesses to obtain fromtheir partner Local Authority consistent, reliableand robust advice concerning regulatorycompliance. The PA scheme allows LocalAuthorities to recover from the PA partner allcosts incurred in providing advice. The scheme iswell established nationwide in the areas ofLicensing, Trading Standards, Food Safety andHealth and Safety but there appears to be farfewer PA relationships covering the area ofHousing. Slough Borough Council’s HousingRegulation Team has just formed its first PApartnership with Superdrug and it is hoped thatthe team can take advantage of the current ‘gapin the market’ by actively seeking outopportunities to form new relevant PA authoritypartnerships.’



Tackling long term empty properties 2.17 The council has adopted a zero tolerance

approach to empty residential properties that areleft empty and abandoned in a derelict state. Theimpact of such properties is well documented aswell as being a waste of valuable housingresources. The council is currently dealing with14 sites, seven of which are at an advanced stageof a Compulsory Purchase Order. Thisdemonstrates that the council is determined touse all available powers to improve housingsupply in Slough across all tenures and willcontinue to do so throughout the life of thisstrategy.

Action plan• Build a well-resourced Private Sector Housing

Service to support good landlords and carry outthe council’s statutory responsibilities towardstenants and landlords.

• Undertake rigorous enforcement and prosecutionagainst rogue landlords who have a history ofbreaking the law.

• Undertake a feasibility study for introducing aborough-wide Landlord Registration Scheme toprotect good landlords and drive out rogue orcriminal landlords.

• Implement the expansion of mandatory HMOlicensing.

• Support responsible landlords and work withthem to become professional and grow theirbusiness.

• Ensure our subsidiary Housing Companies act asexemplar private landlords in the borough.

• Use the new RMI contract to provide support andrepair services to private landlords.

• Use all available powers to bring emptyproperties back into residential use.

• Work with all partner agencies to tackle theproblem of illegally-occupied outbuildingsthrough a range of approaches.

• Work with utility companies and all relevantagencies to reduce fuel poverty, insulate homes,help with the cost of healthy living and improvethe energy ratings of older private sectorbuildings.



Objectives3.1 The council has a number of important objectives

in planning the future of council homes in theborough;

• To place tenants and leaseholders at the centreof the development of services and planning forthe future of council homes;

• To keep homes in good repair and to maximisethe potential of council homes for the long-term benefit of the people of Slough;

• To take opportunities to provide additionalaffordable homes on council-owned land;

• To develop and provide high quality andresponsive services for tenants andleaseholders.

BackgroundThe significance of council housing3.2 Slough Borough Council owns and manages

7,400 rented and leasehold properties across theborough. This is the council’s most valuablephysical asset. These homes are financedthrough a special account - the Housing RevenueAccount (HRA.)

3.3 A wide and diverse range of residents areaccommodated in council homes across a rangeof income groups. However, council homes are aparticularly important resource for householdson low or modest incomes who cannot afford tohouse themselves in homes available on theprivate market. Its significance is increasing ashouse prices and private sector rents escalate.Demand for council homes is high and faroutstrips supply. This explains the length of theHousing Register and the growing need to usetemporary accommodation for homelesshouseholds.

3.4 The council’s housing stock is a particularly vitalresource for people who are vulnerable ordisabled or elderly, who will not be able to find ahome elsewhere. In an environment wheremarket housing is increasingly unaffordable formany residents, council housing is also vital forthe economic future of the town in that itprovides affordable accommodation for peoplewho work in the borough.

3.5 For all of these reasons the council wants toretain and enhance its homes for the long-termbenefit of Slough. At the same time, as thisStrategy is being written, council housing inSlough, as elsewhere, is subject to fundamentalexternal change and pressure. This means takinga long-term look at the future of this critical assetand maximising its contribution to the future ofthe town.

Evidence base - key points• The council owns 7, 400 tenanted and leasehold

homes, managed through the Housing RevenueAccount (HRA).

• Over the next seven years there will be £100minvestment programme in existing homes and£40m invested in building new council homes.

• The award of a new repairs and investmentcontract to start in 2017 will provide a focus forimproved services to tenants.

• However, there are threats to the viability of theHRA, mainly brought about by Governmentpolicy. These are the mandatory reduction inrents for 4 years from 2016/17; and a potentialrequirement to make a payment to theGovernment following the sale of “higher value”council homes when they become void.

• The council is undertaking an Options Appraisalto look at the long-term future of council homes.

Theme 3: Council homes



Ensuring council homes are managed and maintained to a high standard and thecouncil builds new homes for Slough residents.



Residents at the centre of services3.6 The council wants to place residents - tenants

and leaseholders - at the centre of its strategy forcouncil homes. This means improving theresponsiveness of the services provided andbroadening the ways in which residents canbecome involved in monitoring and developingservices. Central to this will be the use of digitaltechnology to improve the delivery, quality,timeliness and value of services.

3.7 The centrepiece of the council’s drive to improveservices to residents will be a new Repairs,Maintenance and Investment contract which willbegin in December 2017. This will cover both dayto day repairs and planned maintenance andimprovements and will allow for a long-term andmore planned approach to maintaining andenhancing these important physical assets. Aparticular priority will be to shift the balance ofworks to property so that 70% is planned, cyclicalmaintenance and investment and only 30% isreactive routine repairs. The council will also takethe opportunity of this new contract to build localIn-house capacity to carry out maintenance workon public and private assets.

Responding to change 3.8 At the time of writing this Strategy the

Government is introducing a number of changesthrough the Housing and Planning Act and otherlegislation which will have a major impact on thefuture of council homes in the borough. Chiefamongst these are:

• The Government has taken control of councilrents and these will fall by 1% in each of the 4years from 2016/17. While this benefitsexisting tenants it will have a major impact onthe HRA, including money available forinvestment;

• After April 2018 the council will be forced to sellsome its higher value homes as they becomeempty and pass some of the proceeds to theGovernment;

• The Government is changing the rules on newcouncil tenancies and the granting of fixed-term as opposed to lifetime tenancies. This willnot affect the position of existing tenancies.

3.9 These changes are being introduced at the sametime as further measures to reform the benefitsystem, particularly the reduction in the OverallBenefit Cap and the further rollout of UniversalCredit, both of which could significantly affect thefinances of individual tenants and the HRA itself.

3.10 The combination of these measures means thatthe council will need to look fundamentally againat access into council homes and how to ensurethat homes are used to their greatest benefit.This will include a review of the existing TenancyStrategy, the Scheme of Allocation and at theeffectiveness of existing policies to encourageunder-occupying households to move intosmaller accommodation.

HRA business plan3.11 In 2012, the Government of the day reached an

agreement with Local Authorities which stillowned their housing stock, aimed at providinglong-term stability for the HRA. This “Self-Financing” regime included a settlement onoutstanding debt and the transfer of risk to thecouncil. In return, the council would be free toplan its housing finances for the long term.

3.12 The changes outlined above effectively set thatagreement aside. A new 30 year Business Planhas been prepared and this will be subject to afurther major review in 2018 when more will beknown about the Government’s intentions onrents and high value voids. The latest version ofthe Business Plan has incorporated headline datafrom a comprehensive Stock Condition Surveyand the council now has high quality and up-to-date information about the condition of itshomes.

Options appraisal3.13 Major changes are already in train. For example;

• The regeneration of Britwell has included theprovision of around 300 new homes;

• The current development programme willprovide a further 190 affordable council homesover the next 3-4 years;

• The council has decided to redevelop the towerblocks at Tower House and Ashbourne House.

3.14 However, alongside residents, the council hasdecided to take a fresh and long-term look at thefuture of the assets which are its council housing;the resources which will be available for keepinggood-quality existing homes in good repair; andthe need and scope for replacing homes whichare outdated and worn-out with more and betterhomes which maximise the potential benefit forthe residents of Slough.

3.15 This Options Appraisal began in November 2016and will report in December 2017. An interimreport to the council’s Cabinet in March 2017reported that “doing nothing” was not an optionif the council wished to maintain the number ofcouncil homes in the face of continued Right toBuy sales. Equally, transferring the housing stockto another landlord - a Registered Provider - wasnot financially viable. The Options Appraisal willnow look at the range of means available forsustaining existing homes and maximising theprovision of new affordable housing.

Action plan• Publish a baseline 30 year Business Plan for the

Housing Revenue Account in the Autumn of 2016.

• Undertake a comprehensive survey of thecondition of the council’s housing stock, forcompletion by January 2017.

• In the light of the results of the condition surveyand the implementation of the provisions of theHousing and Planning Act, produce an updatedHRA Business Plan in March 2017.

• In partnership with residents, undertake a formalasset management review and option appraisalof the council’s housing stock for completion byDecember 2017.

• Complete the existing programme of 190 newhomes on Housing-owned land and seek tocontinue the programme beyond 2020.

• Adopt the following priorities for improving theservices to residents:

- Awarding a new Repairs, Maintenance andInvestment contract for council homes toimprove the quality and responsiveness ofrepair for residents and to act as a catalyst forthe development of local and in-house capacityto provide maintenance services

- Engaging and enabling residents so as to createa culture of accountability and responsibilityand to broaden opportunities for tenants andleaseholders to be involved in the developmentand monitoring of services

- Increasing resident satisfaction through greaterresponsiveness to customers and in particularthrough the greater use of digital technology.

• Develop a new Tenancy Strategy for counciltenancies in the light of the Housing and PlanningAct.

• Undertake a formal review of the scheme for theAllocation of social housing in Slough.

• Develop proposals for the more effective use ofcouncil homes by increasing the number oftenants choosing to downsize when their familycircumstances change.





Objectives4.1 The council has a number of important objectives

in addressing Homelessness in the borough;

• To prevent homelessness and minimize theneed to place households in temporaryaccommodation;

• To ensure there is a good advice and supportnetwork in Slough for both statutory and non-statutory households, including singlehomeless people;

• To ensure there is a supply of affordablealternative accommodation available to assistin preventing homelessness;

• Where it is necessary to use temporaryaccommodation, to ensure that it is suitableand of a decent standard;

• To minimize the cost to the council tax payer ofthe use of temporary accommodation;

• To address the issue and needs of roughsleepers (living on the streets) as part of awider health prevention strategy.

4.2 This chapter summarises the current position onhomelessness in Slough. It sets out the causes ofthe pressure in the market and commits thecouncil to building a new HomelessnessPrevention Strategy to tackle homelessness andbetter meet the needs of our homelesspopulation through wider partnership working.

Background Pressure from the market and from benefit changes4.3 In Slough, those households on low or modest

incomes who cannot access home ownership orsocial housing are accommodated in the privaterented sector. Households in this position havebeen under increasing pressure in the last fewyears.

4.4 This is due to partly to the effect of the growth ofpopulation as described in the previous themes.However, it is also more directly due to rapidlyincreasing rents and restrictions in theavailability of benefits.

Evidence base - key points• 2,500 applicants on the Housing Register (people

needing accommodation)

• The council had a total of 2,373 homelessnessapproaches in 2015/16; of these 963 neededhousing advice and 1,410 were on an emergencybasis;

• The number of households accepted as homelessin Slough increased from 74 in 2013/14 to 241 in2015/16, an increase of 225%.

• The number of homeless households intemporary accommodation increased from 156 at31 March 2015 to 225 a year later. By September2016 the total had exceeded 300 including somehouseholds in bed and breakfastaccommodation.

• The market in Slough is experiencing increasingpressure from other Authorities, particularlyLondon Boroughs, who are placing homelesshouseholds in Slough.

• The effect of Welfare Reform is to create morehomelessness through they the impact of theaffordability of private sector accommodation.

• Rough sleeping (living on the streets) is an issuethat may be increasing and requires a betterjoined-up approach.

Theme 4: Homelessness and housing need

Reducing homelessness and rough sleeping (living on the streets) through effectiveprevention work.

4.5 Following the introduction of the Local HousingAllowance (LHA), which capped the level ofHousing Benefit available, the “affordability gap”between the LHA and market rents has grown.The table below illustrates the current gap facedby the majority of households on benefitsseeking private rented accommodation in Slough.

Note; LHA maximum rates (April 2016 to April 2017)

4.6 The Table demonstrates the “affordability gap”for those on benefits is large and increasing asthe Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate has beenfixed for the next three years. We expect the gapto widen during the life of this strategy. Theproperty types in highest demand, namely twobedroom and three bedroom properties have thelargest current “affordability and this continuesto widen.

4.7 Other national factors in regard to welfarereform are beginning to impact on Slough:

• The reduction in the Overall Benefit Cap whichstarted in late 2016;

• The further roll-out of Universal Credit tofamilies and vulnerable groups and theassociated risks of failure to claim, non-payment, rent arrears and debt.

4.8 The Overall Benefit Cap, which restricts the totalamount of benefit which can be received andtherefore the financial help available to pay rent.The council is already seeing the impacts of thispolicy in homeless presentations as it makes itmore difficult for family households to sustainprivate rented tenancies.

4.9 One symptom of these restrictions is a furtherincrease in overcrowding. Slough already has theeleventh highest incidence of overcrowding of alllocal authorities in England. Many residents arerenewing and recycling their private sectortenancies on short term six month agreements.As a result, many are becoming increasinglyvulnerable to homelessness as private renting isthe least secure form of accommodation.

The increase in homelessness and its impact4.10 The combined effect of these factors has

inevitably been a large increase in homelessness.Some of this hidden - for example the largenumber of residents who are withstanding veryovercrowded conditions in the private rentedsector. At the same time, these combinedpressures have also manifested as stark upturnsin applications and pressures on the localauthority;

• In 2015/16 there were a total of 2,373approaches to the Housing Service, of which1,410 were on an emergency basis;

• The number of homeless households acceptedas homeless in Slough increased from 74 in2013/14 to 241 in 2015/6, an increase of225%;

• As a consequence, the number of householdsplaced in temporary accommodation alsoincreased rapidly from 156 on 31 March 2015to 225 a year later. The numbers continued torise in 2016 and had topped 300 by September2016.

4.11 Previously, some of these households had to beaccommodated in Bed & Breakfast (B&B) hotels, aproblem also facing most neighbouring councils,and particularly those in London. This council hashowever, begun to “buck the trend” bysucceeding in reducing the number ofhouseholds in B&B, from 46 in September 2015 to21 a year later. We had eliminated the use of Bedand Breakfast accommodation for families byJanuary 2017 and have stabilized the numbers intemporary accommodation at 316 as at March2017.



PropertyType

MonthlyLHA rate

Medianrents Gap

OneBedroom £656.50 £950 £293.50

TwoBedrooms £840.32 £1,275 £434.68

ThreeBedrooms £1061.19 £1,525 £463.81

FourBedrooms £1,449.19 £1,650 £200.81



4.12 Many of these pressures are also beingexperienced by neighbouring areas, though theincrease in Slough has been higher than thenorm. However, one additional factor specific toSlough has exacerbated these pressures. That isthe increasing tendency for households to moveoutwards from London into Slough and in manycases for homeless households to be placed inSlough by other councils. In the last 3 years, atotal of 450 notifications have been made to thecouncil by authorities of households they havemoved into the borough. These have been madeby 28 different councils, including 11 LondonBoroughs. It is held by officers that this is aconsiderable underestimate and that the totalnumber of placements is likely to be over 1000new households placed in the last three years.

4.13 There is one more factor which serves to increasethe difficulty for local households in the market.Competition from London Boroughs both makesit more difficult for Slough households to findaccommodation in the market and more difficultfor the council to find housing for its homelessfamilies.

4.14 The movement of households from London,many of them placed by London Boroughs, hasalso brought particular difficulties for local health,care and education services. Many of thehouseholds being placed in Slough are not beingprovided with sufficient support to allow them tosettle properly to access local services, such asGPs, dentists or schools. The fact that in manycases the council and other local agencies are notnotified of the placement makes matters worse.

4.15 The links between having a good, secure homeand the overall quality of life are well-established. Equally, the relationship betweenhomelessness and other forms of disadvantageare well known. Homeless people are more likelyto have health problems, relating to bothphysical and mental health. Children withinhomeless families risk having their educationalprospects severely damaged. Employmentprospects are affected by not having apermanent place to stay. These risks areamplified when families are forced to spend

some time in unsuitable forms of temporaryaccommodation and overcrowded conditions inthe private rented sector. These linkages arehighlighted in Slough’s Wellbeing Strategy.

4.16 Whilst the council's primary concern is improvingthe position for homeless families in the boroughto improve the life chances of the familiesconcerned, there is a also a pressing financialreason to do so. Temporary accommodation,particularly Bed & Breakfast accommodation isexpensive for the council tax payer as well aslargely unsuitable for the families concerned. It istherefore vital to protect the financial resourcesavailable for other critical services, such as AdultSocial Care and Slough Children's Service’s Trust,through minimising homelessness and the use oftemporary accommodation.

Homelessness pressure likely to grow4.17 There are a number of reasons to believe that

homelessness will continue to grow. The threatfor Slough is that the high levels of homelessnessand usage of temporary accommodation seen inneighbouring London Boroughs will spreadoutwards to this borough.

4.18 The concern is that a number of factors willcombine to increase the levels of homelessness;

• Continued population growth leading toovercrowding and further increases in houseprices and rents;

• The four years freeze in welfare benefits,including Local Housing Allowance, announcedby the Chancellor in the Budget for 2015 andthe implementation of the Benefit Cap and rollout of Universal Credit;

• Continued placement into Slough by Londonand surrounding Boroughs;

• It is becoming ever more difficult forhouseholds on benefits, or low or modestincomes to find and sustain tenancies inSlough’s private rented sector.



New preventing homelessness legislation4.19 New legislation in the form of the Homeless

Reduction Bill 2016/17 is set to place new dutieson all local authorities to prevent homelessnessat much earlier stages, with a focus on homelessadvice and early intervention to preventevictions.

4.20 This legislation will place an additional burden onalready stretched homelessness services. Theethos of the legislation is to widen theresponsibility for preventing homelessnessbeyond simply Housing services and this willmean delivering a better, joined–up holisticapproach with homeless reduction being ashared priority across the Health, Housing andWellbeing sectors. This includes addressing theneeds of vulnerable homeless households inpartnership with Adult Social Care and SloughChildren’s Service’s Trust whilst intervening in theprivate rented sector to prevent evictions.

Our local response to homelessness 4.21 Our intention to reduce homelessness, eliminate

the use of unsuitable forms of temporaryaccommodation starting with B&B’s and tackleliving on the streets (rough sleeping). The alsobelieves the most effective way to deal withhomelessness is to stop it happening in the firstplace. Our focus and “acid test” will be onpreventing homelessness for local householdsnow and in the future. Through earlyintervention and prevention and proactivecreative solutions we expect to manage andreduce the levels of homelessness and roughsleeping in Slough from our existing levels andtherefore reduce the financial, social andeconomic costs of homelessness over the nextfive years for the residents of Slough.

New homelessness prevention strategy 4.22 The council has committed to developing a new

Homelessness Prevention Strategy which will bedelivered by September 2017. We have thereforeinvited our partner agencies in the statutory andvoluntary sectors to join us in developing anddelivering this and to change and improve theway we collectively work together to preventhomelessness.

4.23 We will fully involve our partners at the SloughHomelessness Forum and the strategy will bescoped to address the following key priorities:

• Deliver effective early intervention andprevention with a focus on education,employment, health and wellbeing;

• Prevent homelessness through delivery of rapidand effective assessment;

• Use only the most appropriate temporaryaccommodation to prevent further social andeconomic deterioration;

• Manage demand by ensuring that we addressover - expectation and make the best use of oursocial housing stock;

• Increase access to and the supply of affordableaccommodation to prevent homelessness;

• Prevent homelessness by supporting singlehomeless people and reduce rough sleeping by50%.

Working with private landlords4.24 We understand that the private rented sector in

Slough will continue to be the main housingoption for many residents, but that it is very oftenproblems arising with private sector tenancieswhich are the immediate trigger forhomelessness. We therefore intend to develop anew strategic and positive working relationshipwith private sector landlords to improveaffordability and prevent homelessnessapproaches to the council. We believe our currentnumber of homeless approaches can bestabilised if we can successfully work with privatelandlords to meet the local needs of residents. Weaim to allocate our resources to preventativeapproaches rather than providing unwanted Bed& Breakfast or Temporary Accommodation forhomeless households. We have eliminated theuse of Bed and Breakfast accommodation forfamilies with children and aim to restrict B&B toemergency use only going forward.



Subsidiary housing company4.25 In addition to developing a fresh partnership

with private landlords, we intend to intervenedirectly in the market to provide a greater supplyof affordable accommodation for homelessfamilies or as a preventative alternative tohomelessness. Our Subsidiary Housing CompanyJames Elliman Homes will acquire existinghousing for use for households threatened withhomelessness. The new company will act as anexemplar private landlord and help promotegood standards in the private rented sector.Alongside the new Subsidiary Company, thecouncil will put in place improved managementarrangements to bring together landlords andtenants to make the most effective use of theaccommodation available. We hope to increasethe quality and choice of accommodationavailable to homeless and potentially homelesshouseholds through both the delivery of newhousing supply detailed in this strategy alongsideother specific market interventions that will bedetailed in our new strategy.

Support for households in temporary accommodation 4.26 We also understand the need for additional

support for some of the homeless individuals andfamilies who approach us and those who aretemporarily housed or placed in Bed & Breakfastaccommodation. A key need is to enablehouseholds to develop the relevant skills forindependent living or to take advantage of workopportunities to be able to sustain their tenancieslonger term. At a management level we arelooking to increase debt/money managementadvice and at closer working and mediation withlandlords to prevent evictions.

Placements in Slough by other local authorities4.27 We have also recognised the vulnerability of

households placed in Slough by other authoritiesand the urgent need to address their access tolocal services. We will work with our localpartners, particularly in the Health sector tobetter co-ordinate the sharing of informationabout these individual and families and to insistupon better data sharing and cooperation by the"exporting” authorities.

Review of allocations policy4.28 Although many homeless households will

continue to be accommodated in the privatesector, it is a key aim of this Strategy to increasethe supply of permanent affordable housing. Weintend to undertake a review of the HousingAllocation Policy, which governs which categoriesof household are allocated social housing.Amongst other matters this review will look atthe priority which should be given to homelesshouseholds.

Single homelessness and rough sleeping 4.29 Slough is fortunate in having an existing network

of voluntary agencies and support and adviceservices offering services to single homelesspeople and rough sleepers. In some cases theirclients include those who do not come within thestatutory obligations of the local authority toaccommodate homeless people. Often, however,joint working between the voluntary sector andthe council can bring the support which allowsvulnerable client to access services.

4.30 Whilst data is traditionally difficult to compile forrough sleeps, the general view of our voluntarysector is that Rough Sleeping (living on thestreets) in Slough is on the rise. Estimates varybetween 30 and 60 people, with a significantproportion being of Polish origin. The currentofficial Rough Sleepers count for Slough is 25 andis undertaken every year on a Berkshire widebasis. This is the highest it has been over anumber of years, but in the main these totals hasremained relatively static. We also know the scaleof rough sleeping is greater than that capturedand are aware of 39 individuals in total who sleeprough from time to time. The statistics varybecause as for other homeless households mostpeople squat, ‘sofa surf’, stay with family andfriends or anywhere else they can find temporaryshelter for as long as possible.

4.31 The voluntary and statutory agencies working inthis field already meet regularly at the SloughHomelessness Forum. A number of specificinitiatives are coordinated through is group,including a Winter Nightshelter and the Londonand Slough Soup Run.



4.32 In developing the new Homeless PreventionStrategy, we will be carrying out a sector widereview to consider how we can help bettercoordinate services for Rough Sleepers andachieve longer term solutions including jointlycommissioning new services for the mostvulnerable single homeless people. We are alsocarrying out an early review of arrangements forrough sleepers during periods of cold weather.

4.33 The council is also working in wider partnershipsand has recently commissioned work throughHomeless Link to deliver the Making Every AdultMatter” (MEAM) approach across ourstrengthening homeless preventionpartnerships. This offers an exciting opportunityfor information sharing and development of jointsolutions between Health, Adult Social Care,Slough Children’s Services Trust and Housing towork in new strategic partnerships to supportnew service delivery models.

Action plan• Develop and adopt a Preventing Homelessness

strategy in collaboration with clients, landlords,the voluntary sector and other partner agencies.

• Develop new partnerships with private and thirdsector landlords to maximise opportunities fortenancies for homeless families and individuals.

• James Elliman Homes will acquire homes toalleviate the pressures on temporaryaccommodation and Bed & Breakfast provision.

• Ensure the use of Bed & Breakfast for familieswith children is eliminated going forward.

• Review the council’s Allocation Scheme to re-evaluate the priority which homeless peoplereceive under the scheme.

• Work with the Health sector and other agencies tomonitor and address the health and care needs ofvulnerable homeless people placed in Slough byother Local Authorities and require thoseauthorities to review their placement andnotification policies.

• Undertake an early review of arrangements forrough sleepers during periods of cold weatherand find longer term solutions.

• Roll out the MEAM approach and develop newpartnerships that makes homelessnesseveryone’s business in Slough.



Objectives5.1 Our objectives in relation to people with special

housing needs and vulnerabilities are to ensurethat;

• People with long term conditions aresupported by suitable housing which is safe,warm and resource efficient allowing access toappropriate prevention services includingadaptations to stay well and maintain theirindependence;

• People with mental health, learning or physicalvulnerabilities, whether in childhood,adulthood, or in older age have choice of accessto suitable or specialist accommodation,maintain their independence and report abetter quality of life;

• Young people and children leaving care haveavailable to them a range of accommodationwhich is suitable to their needs;

• The best use is made of existing housingresources, for example the existing stock ofsocial housing.

Background5.2 The borough is fortunate in having two up to

date assessments of requirements in this area -the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) andthe SHMA. The JSNA estimates that that thenumber of people over the age of 65 in Sloughwill increase by 40% in the next 10 years. TheSHMA estimates that between 2013 and 2036 thenumber of people aged over 85 will increase by120%.

Evidence base - key points• The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

estimates that that the number of people over theage of 65 in Slough will increase by 40% in thenext 10 years. The SHMA estimates that between2013 and 2036 the number of people aged over85 will increase by 120%.

• The JSNA also estimates that in 2012, 9,322residents between the ages of 16 and 65 had aphysical disability.

• The SHMA reports that the number of people withlong-term health problems or a disability willincrease by over 50% by 2036.

• The SHMA projects that between 2013 and 2036there is a net additional requirement of 957 unitsof older persons accommodation, (includingspecialist housing), or 42 per annum,predominantly market housing.

• This strategy is strongly linked to the jointCorporate Parenting Strategy of the council andSlough Children’s Services Trust (The Trust).

• As at February 2017, there were 179 care leaversreceiving a service from Slough and 55% livewithin the borough. The council and the Trust aimto rapidly increase opportunities for our careleavers to live in Slough if they wish to and it issafe for them to do so.

• The key recommendations of the Children’s Trustaction plan are to review the range and quality ofaccommodation for looked after children and careleavers, including staying put arrangements.

Theme 5: Special housing needs andvulnerable groupsEnsuring that specialist accommodation is available for vulnerable people and thosewith special housing needs, for example, older people, people with disabilities andyoung people including care leavers.



5.3 We understand that older people aredisproportionately likely to own their homesoutright or to live in social housing. There are alsosignificant degrees of under- occupancy - that is,people occupying homes where they have atleast two more rooms than they would normallyrequire. Again, the SHMA suggests this isdisproportionately the case for people owningtheir homes outright or living in social housing(the numbers of such households are 2,533 and336 respectively.)

5.4 On disability, the JSNA estimates that in 2012,9,322 residents between the ages of 16 and 65had a physical disability. Looking forward, theSHMA projects that the number of people withlong-term health problems or a disability willincrease by over 50% by 2036. Again, people witha disability are more likely to be outright ownersor to live in social housing. These projections arehighly significant in designing homes andservices in the future.

5.5 In estimating the need for additional specialistaccommodation the SHMA concentrates on theneeds of older people with dementia or mobilityproblems. The table below, drawn from theSHMA, compares the estimated need for olderperson’s accommodation (including specialisthousing), with the existing supply of shelteredand extra care housing. It concludes that anadditional 987 units are required in the period upto 2036, or 42 per annum. Although 200 of theseare in the affordable sector, the majority of therequirement is for market accommodation.

5.6 This analysis points to a number of long-termstrategic issues in relation to housing for olderpeople;

• How to deliver additional accommodation at ascale to meet projected demand over the next20 years. This strategy already recognises theneed for additional extra care housing butoverall requirements stretch considerablybeyond this;

• The need to find market options, particularly forolder owner-occupiers who would wish tomove from their existing accommodation;

• How to address the scale of under-occupation,in both the under-occupied and social sectors.This could involve providing better alternativehousing options for people to move to andassistance in doing so. Reducing under-occupation would also help to release valuablehousing resources across the private and socialsectors.

5.7 These questions sit alongside those already beingaddressed by Adult Social Care and Healthservices in seeking to allow older people tocontinue to live independently. This will be one ofthe major Housing issues for Slough over the next20 years. It is therefore proposed that theagencies concerned come together to develop along-term term strategy for older person’shousing in the borough. This would includelooking at the suitability and future use of thecouncil’s existing stock of shelteredaccommodation through an options appraisalprocess.

5.8 The private sector, both for owner occupation andthe private rented sector is the most importantsource of housing for all our residents includingthose who may need more specialistaccommodation now and in the future. This isunlikely to change and the private sector is set toincrease proportionately given our current andprojected housing market conditions. Hence oururgent need to not only ensure the private rentedsector provides sufficient good quality housing,but to develop and increase the social housing

Need for units of older person’s accommodation2013-2036 (SHMA, 2016)

Market Affordable Total

OverallNeed 817 725 1,542

ExistingSupply 60 525 585

Net Need 757 200 957



and specialist housing options provided by thecouncil, its subsidiary companies, itsregeneration partner (SUR) and our local housingassociations where the private sector is unable todo so. This focus on better partnership workingand new ways of working is necessary to achieveour objective of ensuring all our residents haveaccess to quality homes by levering in thealternative investment opportunities as a driverfor new specialist developments.

The need for specialist accommodation 5.9 There are already a range of accommodation and

housing options for people who require specialistaccommodation or who are vulnerable. Thisincludes sheltered accommodation and a rangeof supported housing. However the availableevidence suggests that more will be requiredover the life of this Strategy and beyond. This isclosely linked to increasing life expectancy andthe projections that there will be more olderpeople in the future, living longer, but withincreasing long term health conditions and levelsof disability. This in turn means we will have toincreasingly consider “age friendly” design andconsider meeting “Lifetime Homes” standards onnew all developments. In the longer term this willmean increasing the number of propertiessuitable for wheelchair users or other people withdisabilities through adaptation in both theprivate and social housing sectors.

Housing and health5.10 Adequate and appropriate housing is widely

acknowledged to be a crucial underpinning ofhealth and wellbeing. In general, poor housingand home conditions can be associated with bothphysical and mental effects on residents’ health.It is associated with asthma, skin allergies andrespiratory diseases and is linked to physicalaccidents and injuries. Poor housing can also leadto depression, isolation, anxiety or aggression.Noise related stress from poor sound insulation isassociated with lack of sleep, mental stress anddepression.

Housing conditions5.11 All of our partners agree that housing is a wider

determinant of health. We have undertaken aStock Modelling project (BRE) to identify privatesector homes where the worst conditions arefound and we will continue to use this data tofocus resources on achieving the greatest healthoutcomes e.g. relieving excessively cold homes,fuel poverty, falls amongst the elderly,dampness, overcrowding etc. We will thenquantify the estimated costs and benefits toPublic Health of these housing interventions byway of a Health Impact Assessment. By targetingfuture resources to preventing poor healthimpacts greater savings in health care and adultsocial care costs can be accrued. This is alsoknown as the Health Dividend.

Joint working between Housing, Public Health andAdult Social Care5.12 Through this Strategy we are committed to a

closer alignment of services provided by Housing,Public Health and Adult Social Care, aimed atearly intervention and promotion to improve thequality of life; promoting independence andchoice; reducing health inequalities by focusingon groups most affected by poor housing; andintegrating services where this is appropriate.

5.13 For example, the Public Health OutcomesFramework “Healthy Lives, healthy people:Improving outcomes and supportingtransparency” (2013) sets out desired outcomesfor public health and how they will be measured.Many of the measures have links to housing,some of the more relevant being:

• Falls and injuries in over 65’s

• Fuel poverty

• Excess winter deaths

5.14 The provision of good quality housing also has acritical role to play in preventing hospitaladmissions for vulnerable groups in the firstplace, and in avoiding delays in hospitaldischarges as part of the wider health and socialcare economy. These are critical priorities forSlough that help deliver the new Five Year Plan;



Outcome 2 ” Our people will become healthierand will mange their own health, care andsupport needs”. As a practical example, we arejointly reviewing the functions and effectivenessof our Home Improvement Agency with AdultSocial Care. This service carries out adaptations tothe homes of vulnerable residents in both theprivate and social housing sectors. The aim isdevelop the service as a joint vehicle to deliverthe above objectives and to prevent theunnecessary use of residential care and fasterhospital discharges for older and vulnerableresidents. There are a number of examples ofhow to do this nationally and we will be seekingthe right service balance for Slough in the contextof delivering new preventative services.

5.15 In addition to the strategic requirement for thealignment of work between Housing, Health andAdult Social Care, there are a number of morespecific initiatives to be pursued during the life ofthis Strategy;

• There are two Extra Care Schemes already inSlough for residents over the age of 55 whohave some care and support needs. However,more provision is required and the Housingand Adult Social Care services are workingtogether to develop up to three additional extracare schemes on a mixed tenure basis includingflats for sale. Extra Care Schemes will helpresidents to continue to live in self-containedaccommodation which allows them to maintaintheir independence, dignity and personalchoice. We will also look at other options forproviding accommodation with care;

• Exploring further options for supporting peopleto live in their own homes, if appropriate withequipment and adaptations, potentially with arevised plan for the use of Disabled FacilitiesGrant;

• Slough already has a considerable resource forpeople with a disability in its stock of socialhousing which has already been adapted or iscapable of being adapted. However, themonitoring of adaptations which have beencarried out and the matching of vacancies tothe requirements of individual residents needsto be improved;

• Within the direct new build programme oncouncil land, the council has made provision fornew units for people with learning difficulties;

• Promoting measures to prevent illness such asimproving energy efficiency and installing aidsand adaptations to reduce the likelihood ofaccidents in the home. This will be pursuedalongside the greater use of digital technologyto enhance the delivery of person-centred carein the home;

• Ensuring timely housing advice is provided toall people with long-term mental health issueson admission to hospital and working towardsa consistent approach to the assessment ofpriority for re-housing;

• A review of Housing Related Support services inthe borough, which provide a range ofsupported accommodation to groups such asyoung homeless people or those with mentalhealth problems;

• As noted above the development of a long-term strategy for older person’s housing in theborough;

• Supporting the needs of family carers in orderto support their role as carers.

Joint working with Children’s Service and SloughChildren’s Services Trust - care leavers5.16 It is a major priority of this Housing Strategy to

enable children leaving care to access a range ofsuitable accommodation. The Housing servicewill work closely with the Children’s Trust andAdult Social Care to help deliver effectivepathways to support vulnerable children toaddress both specific housing and care needs.



5.17 Joint protocols are already in place between thehomeless team and the Children’s Trust to ensurethat Looked After Children (LACs) do not fallbetween gaps in services and care leaversreceive an additional preference on the HousingRegister. Most receive an offer of council orhousing association accommodation as soon asthey are legally able to sign a tenancy agreementat 18 years of age. However, we understand thattaking on the full responsibilities of a securetenancy may not be the best outcome for manycare leavers and some may prefer sharedaccommodation with a degree of on-goingsupport. The lack of this type of accommodationand other housing options has been raised byyoung people in Ofsted’s Report (2016).

5.18 The council has therefore committed todeveloping this housing option through JamesElliman Homes by the end of 2017. Initially thiswill be on a small scale through acquiring one ortwo shared three bedroomed properties in anagreed suitable location. We intend to see howthis works in practice before putting sucharrangements in place for a larger number ofcare leavers who may need different housingsolutions.

5.19 There are a number of issues to be taken forwardin the joint work between the services;

• Working with the Trust and the young peoplethemselves to understand in detail the rangeand types of accommodation that care leaverswould prefer;

• Developing new models of accommodation andsupport, including shared accommodation,using the vehicle of the council’s new subsidiaryhousing company James Elliman Homes (seebelow);

• As part of the review of Housing RelatedSupport services reviewing the current range ofsupported accommodation available to careleavers as outlined;

• Ensuring the existing protocols and pathwayinto social housing is working effectively.

• We have recently reviewed the scheme ofallocation for this group and have concludedthat no change is required for care leavers asan additional priority is already given and ourEquality Impact Assessment has demonstratedthat this group has not been disadvantaged bythe scheme. The key is to ensure all care leaverswho want social housing are assisted to makean application in good time before leaving care,if so, then the evidence is the majority of careleavers have been accommodated and avoidedhomelessness to date.

Wider review of the scheme of allocation 5.20 The council will be reviewing its Scheme of

Allocation, which governs the flow of residents insocial housing in the borough and the priority tobe given to different groups. This review willinclude in particular the priority afforded tovulnerable people including those with adisability or mental illness who are likely to beunable to work in the long term. For example,there is growing evidence that if a significantnumber of people with learning disabilities hadgreater access to social housing they could bebetter supported by Adult Social Care in their localcommunity.

Subsidiary housing company5.22 The council has set up two wholly-owned

subsidiary housing companies to acquire existingor newly-built properties. One of thesecompanies James Elliman Homes will target itsactivity at securing accommodation for specificgroups within the community, primarilyhouseholds who are homeless or threatenedwith homelessness. The intention is also to usethis vehicle to look to secure variousaccommodation tailored to the needs ofparticular groups and which may not be availablethrough existing mainstream housing provisionincluding social housing.



5.23 This will entail joint working between Housing,Adult Social Care and Slough Children’s ServicesTrust to identify the models of provision requiredand the support necessary to the occupiers andto build a sustainable business plan for eachhousing option. The potential for each model willneed to be explored as the new company grows,but the intention is to start with the outlined pilotscheme for care leavers and modelling and ifpossible implementing new forms ofaccommodation for care leavers and otherpriority special needs groups.

Staff trained to safeguard vulnerable people5.24 All front line Housing staff are trained in

safeguarding protocols for children and adults.The council is working with partner agencies toidentify specific roles that housing staff can playin safeguarding in the borough.

Action plan• Build on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

(JSNA) on health and disability housing needs andundertake further detailed work with partnersand stakeholders to examine what housingoptions are required to best meet current andfuture demand and changing needs.

• Through our new Subsidiary Housing Company,develop new delivery partnerships with SloughChildren’s Services Trust, Health and Adult SocialCare to maximise opportunities for specialist andalternative accommodation within Slough andmore cost effective wherever possible.

• In collaboration with the Trust, ensure there is anadequate supply of accommodation for careleavers and a clear housing pathway.

• Undertake a review of Housing- Related Supportservices in the borough with Adult Social Care ascommissioners, to agree the best use of resourcesto meet joint strategic objectives.

• Undertake a review of the Home ImprovementAgency services with Adult Social Care ascommissioners, to agree the best service modeland structure going forward to meet jointprevention objectives.

• Deliver up to three new mixed use extra careschemes in the borough during the life of thisstrategy where there is established local need.

• Develop an Older Persons Housing Strategy forSlough.

• Within the review of the Scheme of Allocation,ensure full account is taken of the needs ofvulnerable people and those with a disability whoare not working.



Implementation and monitoringThe high level outcomes of the Housing Strategysupport the strategic objectives of the council asoutlined in the 5 Year Plan under Outcome 4 as well asour partnership priorities as set out in the SloughWellbeing Strategy.

The Housing Strategy will be monitored by membersthrough reports to Cabinet and progress scrutinisedby the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Action Plans and outcomes will be monitoredthrough existing mechanisms such as the TenantsPanel, the Homelessness Forum and the HRA Board.The council will consider whether to hold an annualconference to assess progress against the Strategyfollowing the successful event held in January 2017.

Implementation of the strategy

The council’s Five Year Plan We are specifically aiming to deliver Outcome 4 of thecouncil’s overarching Five Year Plan 2017-2021: “Ourresidents will have access to good quality homes”

However, there are strong links with all the otheroutcomes to achieve our vision of “growing a place ofopportunity and ambition - under our banner of“putting people first”:

Outcome 1: Our children and young people willhave the best start in life and opportunities togive them positive lives.

Outcome 2: Our people will become healthierand will mange their own health, care andsupport needs.

Outcome 3: Slough will be an attractive placewhere people choose to live, work and visit.

Outcome 5: Slough will attract, retain and growbusiness and investment to provide jobs andopportunities for our residents.

Slough’s Wellbeing StrategyThe council intends to take the unique opportunitythat housing offers to engage, change and improvethe way housing works within the delivery of betterhealth outcomes for the borough in partnership with

Public Health. The Slough Wellbeing Board recognizedthe importance of housing as one of its priorities in itsrefresh of the Slough Wellbeing Strategy for 2016-2020.

Through links to the Wellbeing Board and othermechanisms we intend to create more inclusiveprocesses to engage health and social care professionsalongside residents in delivering better housing,health, education, and work outcomes for homelessand vulnerable people with housing needs.

Links with other relevant strategiesand plans

• Draft Local Plan 2016-2036

• Slough Joint Wellbeing Strategy 2016- 2020.

• Learning Disability Plan 2016-2019

• Community Safety plans

• Children and Young People’s Plan 2015-2016

• Centre of Slough Strategy 2015 onwards

• Economic Development Plan for Growth 2014-2018

• Asset Management Plan 2014-2017

• Get Active Leisure Strategy

• Climate Change Strategy 2011-2014

Links with other strategies



Action plan

Action Who Targetdate

Progress RAG

Theme 1: New housing supplySeek to enable the provision of 927new units of housing per year forSlough in line with the SHMA.

HoHSPlng

Continuousmonitoring

The council will directly deliver orfacilitate a programme 200 units peryear of new housing over the life ofthis Strategy and beyond, includingaffordable housing.

HoHS March 2021

Maximize the provision of affordablehousing on council-owned landthrough infill development and estaterenewal, including the net gain of1,000 units on HRA land over theperiod 2016 to 2031.

HoHSHoNS


Prioritise available funds and councilassets to provide for the delivery ofaffordable housing schemes inpartnership with SUR and HousingAssociations.

HoHSHoAM


Develop a revised affordable housingpolicy for the borough.

HoHSPlng

Work with private and public sectorpartners to acquire and assemblesites to facilitate the delivery of newhousing.

HoAM Continuousmonitoring

Improve partnership arrangementswith housing associations to facilitatethe delivery of new affordable homes.

HoHS Oct 2017

Extend our programme of councilmortgage lending through ourexisting LAPP scheme.

ADFA Mar 2018

Produce a plan to improve housingopportunities for key workers.

HoHS July 2017

Provide new homes for particulargroups within the community whererequired, for example those needingextra care or care leavers.

HoHS Continuousmonitoring




Progress RAG

Use our subsidiary housingcompanies to assist in providinghomes for vulnerable groups withinthe community.

HoHS May 2017 Continuousmonitoring

Pro-actively use powers to increasethe supply of homes by bringinglong-term empty homes back intouse.

HoNS

Theme 2: Private sector housingCreate two wholly-owned subsidiaryhousing companies to act asexemplar private landlords in theborough and to assist homelesshouseholds and others on low ormodest incomes to access affordableprivate sector homes.

HoAM Jan 2017

Undertake a feasibility study forintroducing a borough-wide landlordregistration scheme. This is to protectgood landlords and drive our rogueor criminal landlords from Slough.

HoNS Oct 2017

Following the announcement of theexpansion of mandatory HMOlicensing we will implement thescheme once the commencementdate has been announced.

HoNS Oct 2017

Undertake rigorous enforcement andprosecution against rogue landlordswho have a history of breaking thelaw.

HoNS Continuousmonitoring

Support responsible landlords andwork with them to becomeprofessional and grow their business.


Use the new RMI contract to providesupport and services to privatelandlords.

HoNS Dec 2017




Progress RAG

Use all available powers to bringempty properties back into use.Work with our partner agencies totackle the problem of illegally-occupied outbuildings.


Work with utility companies andother agencies to insulate homes andimprove the energy ratings of olderbuildings.

HoNS Aug 2017

Through partnership working,particularly with Adult Services, PublicHealth and the CCG, develop servicesto allow elderly and disabledresidents to live independently intheir home and reduce the impact ofpoor housing on the health ofborough residents.

HoNSHoHS


Build a well-resourced Private SectorHousing Service to support goodlandlords and carry out the council’sstatutory responsibilities towardstenants and landlords.

HoNS Apr 2017

Theme 3: Council homesPublish a baseline 30 year businessplan for the Housing RevenueAccount in the Autumn of 2016.

HoNS Oct 2016

Undertake a comprehensive survey ofthe condition of the council’s housingstock, for completion by January2017.

HoNS Jan 2017

In the light of the results of thecondition survey and theimplementation of the provisions ofthe Housing and Planning Act,produce an updated HRA BusinessPlan in March 2017.

HoNS Mar 2017




Progress RAG

In partnership with residents,undertake a formal assetmanagement review and optionappraisal of the council’s housingstock for completion by December2017.

HoNS Dec 2017

Complete the existing programme of190 new homes on Housing-ownedland and seek to continue theprogramme beyond 2020.

HoHS Mar 2020

Adopt the following priorities forimproving the services to residents;• Awarding a new Repairs,

Maintenance and Investmentcontract for council homes toimprove the quality andresponsiveness of repair forresidents and to act as a catalyst forthe development of local and in-house capacity to providemaintenance services

• Engaging and enabling residents soas to create a culture ofaccountability and responsibilityand to broaden opportunities fortenants and leaseholders to beinvolved in the development andmonitoring of services

• Increasing resident satisfactionthrough greater responsiveness tocustomers and in particularthrough the greater use of digitaltechnology.

HoNS

Dec 2017

Dec 2017


Develop a new Tenancy Strategy forcouncil tenancies in the light of theHousing and Planning Act.

HoNS Sept 2017

Undertake a formal review of thescheme for the Allocation of socialhousing in Slough.

HoHS May 2017




Progress RAG

Develop proposals for the moreeffective use of council homes byincreasing the number of tenantschoosing to downsize when theirfamily circumstances change.

HoHSHoNS

Mar 2018

Theme 4: Homelessness and housing needDevelop and adopt a PreventingHomelessness strategy incollaboration with clients, landlords,the voluntary sector and otherpartner agencies.

HoHS Sep 2017

Develop new partnerships withprivate and third sector landlords tomaximise opportunities for tenanciesfor homeless families and individuals.


Establish a subsidiary housingcompany to acquire homes toalleviate the pressures on temporaryaccommodation and bed andbreakfast provision.

HoAM Jan 2017

End the use of bed and breakfast forfamilies with children.

HoHS Mar 2017Continuousmonitoring

Review the council’s AllocationScheme to re-evaluate the prioritywhich homeless people receive underthe scheme.

HoHS May 2017

Work with the Health sector and otheragencies to monitor and address thehealth and care needs of vulnerablehomeless people placed in Slough byother Local Authorities and requirethose authorities to review theirplacement and notification policies.


Produce service proposals for multi-agency working for rough sleepersduring periods of cold weather.

HoHS Aug 2017




Progress RAG

Roll out the MEAM approach anddevelop new partnerships that makeshomelessness everyone’s business inSlough.

HoHS Mar 2018

Theme 5: Special housing needs and vulnerable peopleBuild on the Joint Strategic NeedsAssessment (JSNA) on health anddisability housing needs and produceservice proposals with partners andstakeholders to examine whathousing options are required to bestmeet current and future demand andchanging needs.

HoHS Oct 2017

Through our new subsidiary housingcompany, develop new partnershipswith the Children’s Trust, Health andAdult Social Care to maximiseopportunities for specialist andalternative accommodation to bedelivered locally and more costeffectively.


In collaboration with the Children’sTrust, ensure there is an adequatesupply of accommodation for careleavers.


Undertake a review of housing-related support services in theborough.

ASC Dec 2017

Undertake a review of the HomeImprovement Agency

HoHSASC

Mar 2018

Deliver up to three new mixed useextra care schemes in the boroughduring the life of this strategy wherethere is established local need.

HoHSHoAMASC

Mar 2021

Develop an Older Persons HousingStrategy for Slough.

HoHSASC

Apr 2019




Progress RAG

Within the review of the Scheme ofAllocation, ensure full account istaken of the needs of people with adisability.

HoHS May 2017

Improve the recording and matchingof adapted properties to ensure thebest use of existing council stock.

HoNS Apr 2018

Improve partnership betweenHousing, Adult Services, Public Healthand Slough CCG to allow more elderlyand disabled residents to liveindependently at home.

HoHSASC


Key

HoHS Head of Housing Services

HoNS Head of Neighbourhood Services

HoAM Head of Asset Management

ASC Adult Social Care

ADFA Assistant Director, Finance and Audit

Plng Planning Officers

www.slough.gov.ukDesigned and printed by Slough Borough Council | BH/6477/16-08-17


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