The Housing Scrutiny Committee meeting scheduled for 12 January 2026 was set to discuss the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget and rent review for 2026/27, alongside the annual performance of housing associations operating in Camden. The committee was also scheduled to review progress on anti-social behaviour and community safety initiatives.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget and Rent Review 2026/27

The committee was scheduled to consider the proposed Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget and rent review for the financial year 2026/27. The report highlighted significant financial challenges facing the HRA, including a broken national funding system for social housing, which has resulted in an estimated £201 million in lost rental income since 2016. This, combined with rising costs for inflation, interest rates, fire and building safety, damp and mould, and disrepair, has created a severe financial challenge.

The report outlined how the Council intended to meet its strategic housing objectives within this challenging financial climate. It proposed a balanced budget and set out recommended levels for rent and service charges for 2026/27. Key recommendations included an increase in social housing rents by 4.8% (CPI + 1%), with potential additional increases for 'rent convergence' of up to £2 per week, subject to government approval. Rents for temporary accommodation were proposed to be increased to the current Local Housing Allowance rate. Revised tenant service charges for various services, including caretaking and grounds maintenance, were also proposed, alongside increases for garage rents and other fees and charges. Heating and hot water charges were proposed to be frozen at 2025/26 levels. The report also detailed a planned drawdown from HRA reserves of up to £5 million to balance the budget for 2026/27.

The report included detailed appendices covering the draft HRA budget, heating pool charges, other fees and charges, and equalities impact assessments for the proposed rent and service charge increases.

Housing Associations Annual Performance Report

The committee was scheduled to receive the annual performance report for the four housing associations (HAs) that manage the majority of HA stock within the borough. This report was intended to provide information on their performance in delivering new homes and their overall operational activities. The report detailed sales of HA stock, investment in existing Camden stock, and data on tenancy management, including voids, evictions, and rent arrears. It also presented information on property maintenance, fire safety, and damp and mould cases. The report included appendices with Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) for both low-cost rental accommodation and management aspects, as well as data on anti-social behaviour cases and repair completion times.

Anti-Social Behaviour and Community Safety

This report was intended to update the committee on the progress of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and community safety work across the borough, with a particular focus on the Council's role as a landlord. The report highlighted the Council's commitment, as part of its We Make Camden pledges, to ensure that everyone is safe at home and safe in our communities. It detailed the new ASB Policy and Procedure, which sets out how the Council manages cases and what residents can expect. The report outlined a refreshed procedure for investigating ASB linked to Camden's social housing, with clear pathways for different risk levels and an emphasis on early intervention and partnership working. The report also presented data on ASB activity, including the number of reports triaged, hotspot locations targeted, and estate action plans developed. It noted successes in enforcement actions, such as injunctions, possession orders, and closure orders, and highlighted improvements in key performance indicators related to ASB case management.

Work Programme and Forward Plan

The committee was scheduled to review its work programme for the remainder of 2025/26 and consider any forthcoming key Cabinet decisions it wished to examine in advance. The report included a draft workplan for the committee, detailing planned discussions on various housing-related topics throughout the year. It also outlined the process for establishing time-limited task-focused panels and reminded members of the resource constraints affecting the Council. An action tracker from the previous meeting in December 2025 was also provided.