Councils with ALMOs Group

Localism and the sub-region:

Kent Housing Group

‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’ Embracing localism in response to

housing need and aspiration

Tracey Kerly – Ashford BCBrian Horton – Kent CC

23 March 2012

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

The Kent Housing Group (KHG) is a forum for social housing organisations in Kent. (LA’s, HA’s, HCA, KDG and the NLA.)

Acting as the 'Voice of Housing in Kent' the Group represents the collective voice of Kent's housing bodies, providing advice and a 'Kent perspective' on key issues.

KHG encourages joint working, innovation and the sharing of best practice amongst its members.

“This new localist approach is about giving control to local people, local authorities, housing associations and developers…these new freedoms can be used to build more affordable homes.”

“So Government is getting out of the way where it needs to, and is supporting you where it can. Ultimately, though, delivery depends on the initiative of providers, and the support of local authorities and local communities.

GRANT ON LOCALISM

“It is now up to you to deliver the homes we need.” Kent Housing Group

‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

6

The Strategy

aims to:

Reflect as well as influence Government

Priorities

Be an inclusive process that

builds on existing

Strategies

Promote

Innovation

Celebrate Examples of Best Practice

Add value and contribute to

delivery of local ambitions

Make a Case for

Government Investment

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

Deborah White, Chair of KHG and Housing and Communities Director at West Kent Housing:

“Kent is very proud of KHG and its many achievements clearly show how working in partnership delivers more than you could separately”.

“KHG has also established and maintained a direct link with the political leadership within Kent, ensuring that housing issues are high on the political agenda and that there is strong consistency and coherence on housing at District, County and Unitary level.”

“KHG is also looking to develop a Kent-wide common framework for Tenancy Strategies, putting in place a coherent approach to the new tenancy regime which will create a level playing field for the Housing Associations operating in Kent and ensure consistency for tenants.”

LOVELY WORDS…BUT WHAT HAS IT ACTUALLY DONE?

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

Kent Homechoice, the Kent Choice-Based Lettings Service, the largest of its kind in the UK, which has helped to improve Kent residents’ access to and choice in social housing. The Kent Homechoice website receives an average of 160-170K unique visitors each month, looking for social housing.

Kent Homechoice has developed the website to act as a portal for other housing and advice services offered by KHG partners such as Porchlight and HomeBuy.

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

Delivering New Affordable HomesThe Kent and Medway SHMA showed there was less social rented accommodation within Kent in 2009 than in 1997.

Significant numbers of new affordable homes were delivered in 2008-09 and 2009-10 as KHG members took advantage of additional resources made available by Government. The total of social rented homes is now larger than in 1997, with 2,400 and 2,750 affordable homes delivered in Kent in 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively, up from a peak of 1,700 in 2007-08.

KHG members have worked with HCA to maximise delivery through the Affordable Rent Framework, which is expected to deliver in excess of 4000 new affordable homes in Kent, a significant proportion of the South East allocation. The coherent, intelligent, pragmatic and solution focussed approach of KHG members makes Kent a more attractive place to deliver new homes in.

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

No Use Empty campaign, a partnership developed between Kent County Council and the Districts and

Boroughs which helps to bring empty properties across the County back into use with: £5.5 M Loans Approved, £11.2M Leverage from Public/Private Sector, £16.7M

Total Investment, £1M original loans repaid and 2,031 Empty Properties returned back into use.

Strong relationships between Local Authorities have also led to the development of 2 complex cross-County PFI schemes embracing 12 Local Authority partners worth around £143m, which will deliver around 560 homes for vulnerable people in Kent.

The Kent County Council PFI team, which led the bid said: “The role of the KHG was key to overcoming the obstacles inherent in complex partnerships”.

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

LEADERSHIP

FORUMHOUSING STRATEGY

KENT

KDG

HCA

LANLA

LA

HA

HA HA

KENT HOUSING GROUP

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’