Content

9.1

The Executive Director, Neighbourhood Services
presented a report setting out setting out the Housing Revenue
Account (HRA) Business Plan and HRA Budget for 2025/26. Each year,
the HRA Business Plan is reviewed and updated to set budgets and
charges for the year ahead and to provide an updated 5-year plan
and 30-year affordability profile.
 
The report provides the Committee with an update
on the current national and local housing context, regulatory
requirements, and the priorities for the Committee to action,
alongside capital and revenue spending plans for 2025/26, and
indicated that the Housing Policy Committee would be responsible
for overseeing the scrutiny and delivery of those plans on behalf
of the Council housing tenants of
Sheffield.
 
It was reported that the HRA Business Plan had
also been considered by the Housing Policy Committee at its meeting
on 5th December 2024

 

 

9.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and
Resources Policy Committee recommends to the meeting of the City
Council on 5 February 2025 that:-

 

 

 

(a) the Housing
Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan report for 2025/26 and the HRA
Business Plan commitments for 2025/26 as set out in Appendix A are
approved;
 
(b) the HRA
Revenue Budget 2025/26 as set out in Appendix A is approved;
 
(c) rents for
all council dwellings are increased by 2.7% from April 2025 in line
with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard of
September 2024’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 1%;
 
(d) rents for
temporary accommodation are increased by 2.7% from April
2025;
 
(e) garage rents
for garage plots and sites are increased by 2.7% from April
2025;
 
(f) the
sheltered housing service charge is increased by 1.7% from April
2025;
 
(g) the burglar
alarm charge is increased by 1.7% from April 2025;
and
 
(h) the
furnished accommodation charge is increased by 1.7% from April
2025.

 

 

9.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

9.3.1

The report and
its recommendations, sets out the scale of the challenge ahead, the
limited resources available and the difficult decisions that now
need to be taken to deliver a balanced HRA budget for 2025/26 and
for the overall 30-year viability.

 

 

9.4

Alternatives Considered and
Rejected

 

 

9.4.1

The Council is required to both set a balanced in year HRA
budget and to ensure that in-year income and expenditure are
balanced over 30 years. No other alternatives were
considered.