Hastings' Housing Strategy approved

At Full Council on Wednesday 14 January, councillors approved Hastings’ Housing Strategy.

The strategy is a key part of our work to make Hastings a place where everyone has a safe, settled and affordable home which is the council’s top priority.  

The housing strategy steering group, residents, organisations, landlords, tenants, Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council officers were all involved in putting the strategy together over the last year. 

The strategy includes five priorities with associated actions to achieve these. The priorities are: 

• Deliver the homes we need;
• Prevent homelessness and end rough sleeping;
• Create a rented sector which works for tenants and landlords;
• Homes that support health, independence, and longer lives;
• Reduce carbon emissions from housing and future-proof homes for a changing climate. 

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, leader of the council and lead councillor for housing, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to this strategy. It is one of the most important documents we have as a council, and it will guide our work across the whole council for the next few years. It details how we will use our acquisitions programme to buy new homes, build new homes, and make best use of the social housing we have in Hastings.” 

Frances Mapstone, chair of the housing strategy steering board, said: “I’m really pleased the strategy has been agreed by councillors – it sets a long-term vision for housing in our town with clear objectives, targets and policies on how housing will be improved in the coming years.  We now need to ensure that there is a genuine council wide effort, working with a range of partners, to ensure that the strategic objectives are delivered.” 

You can read the full strategy online, alongside supporting documents including comments received during the consultation process on the strategy.