Hastings Social Lettings Agency

It's been a year now since Hastings Borough Council set up its Social Lettings Agency, Letstart Letting, seeing this poster aimed at landlords, reminded me. 

The purpose of the scheme, is to provide high quality affordable homes for local people struggling to find accommodation in the private rented sector, and, to help facilitate this, private landlords have been provided significant advantages. The Council leases the properties, then rents out to people needing accommodation, pretty simple really!    

The benefits to tenants are obvious, and to owners? Well, they are guaranteed an income from their properties over a fixed duration, even if the property is empty, with the Council providing a comprehensive property management service, having full responsibility to find suitable tenants, collect rents, end tenancies, and even providing some repair work, returning the property to the owner in the same condition in which it was first let.    

If you wish to see more information, go to the Council website.

Council Watch - February

Yesterday evening I went to observe the February 'Cabinet Committee' of Hastings Borough Council in that room above the entrance as you look at my photograph, that is, the Council Chamber. As I've related before, it is quite a grand room, let alone building, and typical of a Victorian municipal building in its grandeur. There is a high ceiling leading into that roof space, and 4 foot high wooden paneling around the room, but it really does need a fresh lick of paint on the walls!  

Anyway, it was an interesting meeting, very little party political posturing on this occasion, though some evident a few times. There was one decision reached that was of great importance to people requiring social housing, plus the adoption of a 'Discretionary Council Tax Relief' policy, as required by statutory regulations, a letter relating to which is to be sent to our M.P. All decisions made this day were unanimous, as I said, very interesting...

 

The setting up of a pilot 'Private Sector Leasing Scheme' as part of the "establishment of a Social Lettings Agency" was agreed last night. It had been recognised that councils around the country have implemented Social Letting Agencies managing housing supplied by the private sector, for example, Havering Council have been running such a scheme for over 10 years, and members of Hastings Council have liaised with Havering.

Also, a feasibility study, including consultation with the housing charity Shelter, found that there is a significant demand for affordable social housing in Hastings, and that there is a large supply of private rented accommodation that could meet the demand. Indeed, many private landlords have already expressed interest in the leasing scheme, as they are dissatisfied with some letting agencies' services, as are many tenants.  

This scheme would mean property owners leasing accommodation to the Council, who would sub-let to those in need of housing. The full cost would be met through rental income and Housing Benefit, and was agreed to be cost effective. Phase 1, the 'pilot' programme, will be for the year from the 15th of April, when between 60 and 100 properties are to be incorporated into the scheme. If successful, the scheme will be enlarged and extended in following years. Congratulations to the Council on this venture!    

Finally, the committee agreed to recommend the adoption of the Council's 2015/16 Pay Policy to the full Council, also patting itself on the back for being a 'Living Wage' employer, that is, all Hastings Borough Council employees earn a 'living wage', nice one!