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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST RELATING TO THIS ITEM:
 
None
 

RESOLVED:
 
That Cabinet:
 
1.   
Approved the Under?Occupation Policy: Moving to a Smaller
Home (Appendix?A).

2.   
Approved the amendments to the Tenancy Strategy
(Appendix?B).

3.   
Delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Adults, Housing
and Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and
Planning, to make updates to the payment structure and offers to
residents within existing budgets.

4.   
Delegated authority to make minor changes and updates to the policy
wording, including those required by changes in legislation or by
updates to the Standards set by the Regulator of Social
Housing.

5.   
Noted that the commitments set out in the policy would be met
within existing budgets.

6.   
Noted that the budgets for supporting people moving to a smaller
home would be updated through existing budgetary processes, and
that officers would seek delegation to the Corporate Director of
Adults, Housing and Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Housing and Planning, to set the payment structure within those
budgets.
 

Reasons for decision

Approval of the
Under?Occupation Policy: Moving to a Smaller Home was
required to set out clearly the Council’s commitments and to
strengthen the offer made to residents, helping increase the supply
of family?sized homes.
Delegations relating
to changes to the financial payment structure and future updates
were required so that payments—unchanged for many
years—could be reviewed and updated annually.
 

Alternative options considered:

 
Not approving the
Under?Occupation Policy: Moving to a Smaller Home
This option was dismissed because:

it was important to
clearly set out the Council’s offer for residents wishing to
downsize and to keep that offer up to date; and
the expected increase
in larger family homes resulting from implementation of the policy
was essential to support the Council in housing larger
families.