FOI request (FOIR-242336028)

Affordable housing in Hastings

Requested Wed 26 August 2020
Responded Wed 16 December 2020

1. How many people are currently on the council's housing register?

2. What are the criteria for accessing the register?

3. How many social housing units were built in the local authority areas over the past five years? Please respond with details of tenure / rent levels for units built.

4. What proportion of affordable housing does the council require developers to deliver on developments over 15 units?

5. The council does not have any stock but please advise who the key partners are for the supply of affordable housing and what level of affordable housing they plan to provide in the next five years. Please provide details of tenure / rent level.

6. What is the council doing to assist in he development of more affordable housing?

7. Has the council set up or does the council have plans to set up a housing company and if so what development does it plan to deliver?

8. Has the council provided council land for the development of homes for sale in the past three years and does intend to do so in the future?

9. What level of affordable housing has the most recent independent housing assessment stated is need in Hastings?

Response

Q1 - There are 1613 households currently on our housing register.

Information is available on our website at https://www.hastings.gov.uk/housing/social_housing/new/

Q2 - Please see Hastings Homemove Allocation Scheme 2018 https://www.hastings.gov.uk/housing/social_housing/homemove/

Q3 - See attached spreadsheet 'affordable housing completions Apr 2015-Mar 2020'

Q4 - 25% on brownfield and 40% on greenfield

Q5 - Key partners are Optivo and Orbit, please contact them direct for further information.

Q6 - The council works closely with developers and Register Providers to support schemes to provide affordable housing. Viability reports are independently assessed to ensure affordable housing is provided for all major developments which are viable. The council has successfully bid for Homes England funding which will help bring forward a council owned site which will provide 40% affordable housing.

Q7 - The council has set up a housing company and are currently reviewing its business case.

Q8 - The council has been awarded funding through Homes England's LAAC programme to develop a council owned site to bring forward 192 new homes; it will be mixed tenure comprising affordable rent, shared ownership and market sale. The council is in discussions with parties who wish to bring forward new housing on council owned land. Given budgetary constraints, the benefits of the schemes against the potential land receipt will need to be evidenced. The council is marketing some sites with outline planning as it does not have the necessary capital to develop out the schemes.

Q9 - As study of future housing need, including affordable housing is currently in progress. Once this has been finalised it will be published as part of the supporting evidence for the new draft Local Plan. The study is expected to be published in Early (January) 2021.

Attachments

• FOIR-242336028_FOIR-242336028_1-affordable_housing_completions_Apr2015-Mar2020.xlsx