The Equalities Board of Enfield Council was scheduled to meet on Monday 23 March 2026 to discuss the council's commissioning of voluntary community services and an update on work to reduce housing inequalities. The meeting's agenda also included a review of the board's work programme.

Voluntary Community Services

The board was scheduled to receive a report providing an overview of the commissioning arrangements and support for the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) in Enfield. This report detailed the services commissioned by the council and the support structures in place for these organisations. In the financial year 2024/25, Enfield Council had 37 contracts with VCS organisations, totalling an annual expenditure of £5.96 million. These commissioned services span various areas, including adult social care, children's services, education, and public health. The report highlighted that the majority of funding for these contracts comes from grants, with significant expenditure directed towards adult social care placements and support for survivors of domestic abuse.

The report listed numerous commissioned services, including advocacy for vulnerable older people by Age UK Enfield, benefits support for adults with disability and illness by Citizens Advice Enfield, and carers' support services by the Enfield Carers Centre. Other services included support for children in care by Barnardo's, LGBTQ+ equalities support by the Enfield LGBT Network, and race equalities support by the Enfield Race Equality Council (EREC).

The report also outlined other areas of support for the VCS, such as the Community Development team, which acts as a central point of contact and provides a weekly newsletter to VCS organisations. The council commissions Enfield Voluntary Action (EVA) as the borough's core infrastructure support organisation for the VCS. The report noted that commissioning the VCS is crucial for delivering personalised and community-focused services, promoting social inclusion, and fostering community resilience, aligning with Enfield Council's priority to create strong, healthy, and safe communities.

Housing Inequality in Enfield

The board was scheduled to receive an update on the work being undertaken to reduce housing inequalities in Enfield, with a specific focus on the support provided to asylum seekers. The report indicated that while residents from all ethnic backgrounds can access homelessness services, there is an overrepresentation of certain ethnic groups approaching the council as homeless.

The report referenced Enfield's Poverty and Inequality Commission (2020), which identified housing as a significant contributor to poverty and inequality in the borough, citing rising housing costs, insecurity, and poor conditions. The commission made three key housing-related recommendations: ensuring regeneration schemes provide additional genuinely affordable homes, reforming the private rented sector to benefit all residents, and adopting an early intervention approach to preventing housing problems in partnership with the voluntary sector.

Since 2020, the council has a pipeline of 5,731 homes across all tenures through regeneration, direct delivery, and acquisitions. The report detailed progress on various regeneration schemes, including Joyce and Snells and Meridian Water, which aim to deliver a significant number of new homes, with a focus on affordable housing.

The report also highlighted efforts to improve the private rented sector through a Selective Licensing Scheme introduced in 2021. Furthermore, the Housing Advisory Service has refocused on early intervention and prevention, leading to the cessation of hotel accommodation for homeless households and the development of new housing products like the Lease + scheme. The report noted a reduction in single individuals in temporary accommodation and the use of a Placement Policy to support moves to more affordable areas.

A significant section of the report focused on homelessness and ethnicity. It presented data indicating a disparity between average rents and the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). The analysis of households approaching the council as homeless showed that the ratio does not reflect the 2021 census data for the area, with a strong indication that different ethnic groups are disproportionately affected. Specifically, the data suggested that Black households are around twice as likely to become homeless as households from other backgrounds in Enfield. The report detailed reasons for homelessness, noting that while some categories like domestic abuse and leaving prison were lower than expected for Black households, others such as loss of supported accommodation, mortgage arrears, and overcrowding were disproportionately higher. The report also acknowledged that Asian households were becoming homeless at roughly half the rate expected based on census data, suggesting a complex issue requiring further consideration.

Work Programme

The board was scheduled to note the completion of the Work Programme for 2025/26. It was also noted that the Equalities Board Work Programme for 2026/27 would be discussed at the first meeting of the new municipal year.

Date of Next Meeting

The dates of future meetings were to be confirmed following the Annual Council on Wednesday 27 May 2026.