The Housing Assurance Board met to discuss a range of critical housing issues, including the ongoing challenges of homelessness and temporary accommodation, strategies for increasing housing supply, and improving the efficiency of council housing stock management. The Board received an update on the national homelessness landscape, noting record levels of temporary accommodation and significant financial pressures on local authorities. Croydon Council has made progress in reducing temporary accommodation placements, achieving the largest reduction of any London borough in 2025. However, demand remains high due to housing affordability issues and rising private rents.

A new Temporary Accommodation Strategy 2026-2030 was presented, outlining a framework to reduce reliance on temporary accommodation, improve housing outcomes, and strengthen financial sustainability. The strategy aims to prevent homelessness earlier, increase housing supply, and transform the temporary accommodation portfolio. By 2030, the Council aims to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation by approximately 23%, with projected annual net costs reducing from £44m to £40m. This strategy is supported by a £6.49m saving target for 2026/27, with a further £10m planned over the next three years.

The Board was also informed about a national drive to end rough sleeping by Christmas, backed by £442m in funding for 2026-2029. Croydon is set to receive a portion of the £168m allocated to London. The Council is strengthening its homelessness prevention team with new initiatives, including mediation and financial support to sustain tenancies, and a Find Your Own Scheme to help residents secure private rented accommodation.

Housing Supply and Best Use of Existing Stock

The Board discussed strategies for increasing housing supply, both market and social/affordable. Croydon has the capacity to build 34,000 new homes by 2040, but most new development is currently by the private sector. Options for increasing social and affordable housing include building on council land, acquiring properties, enabling development by Registered Providers (RPs), and accessing Greater London Authority (GLA) funding. A GLA grant bid for a 10-year programme to deliver 1,000 new homes has been submitted.

The Best Use of Existing Stock initiative aims to maximise the utility of the Council's property portfolio. This includes converting underused spaces into flats, extending existing properties to meet demand for larger homes, and exploring garage conversions. The Council is also actively recovering properties through tackling tenancy fraud and promoting downsizing among existing tenants, particularly single occupants in larger homes.

Voids Management

A deep dive into the voids process highlighted significant improvements made in reducing void turnaround times. The average time to re-let a property has decreased from 105 days in March 2023 to 47 days by March 2025, a 55% reduction. Long-term voids (over one year) have reduced by 41%, and out-of-management voids (over six months) by 78%. However, challenges remain, including contractor performance, accountability, and the impact of custom and practice on processes like asbestos management and energy supply. The Council is procuring three new specialist contractors to improve flexibility and drive down void loss.

Private Rented Sector Licensing

New Additional and Selective Licensing schemes for the private rented sector were set to go live on 25th September 2026, affecting over 35,000 homes. These schemes aim to improve housing conditions, increase tenant awareness of their rights, and reduce anti-social behaviour. The Council is expanding its enforcement team and has procured an IT system to support the administration and inspection of these schemes. The new Renters' Rights Act has introduced strengthened enforcement powers, including civil financial penalties for landlords who breach regulations, such as rental discrimination or failing to provide tenants with required information.

Other Matters

The Board also received updates on the Housing Improvement Programme, which aims to deliver significant savings and improve services, and the Forward Plan, outlining future agenda items for upcoming meetings. A major incident involving a loss of power at a temporary accommodation block, which resulted in 73 households being decanted, was reported. The Board extended its thanks to the staff who managed the situation. The Hillsborough Law, due to be enacted in April 2027, was also mentioned, with assurances that preparatory work for its implementation within the council would commence.