Housing Strategy

Housing Strategy

Introduction

The housing strategy sets out the council's overall (strategic) plans for housing. It covers private and public sector housing.

It is not just about buildings, but also covers plans for housing services to residents. It identifies housing needs in Southwark and sets out priorities and plans to meet those needs, within the resources available.

It has important links with many other Southwark strategies and plans which aim to improve the quality of life for people who live here.

Southwark's Housing Strategy 2005-2010, Providing more and better homes, sets out the strategic objectives and priorities for housing and housing-related services across all tenures. It explains how Southwark Council and its key partners aim to respond to the housing issues facing us over the next seven years. It covers how we intend to work towards the 'more and better homes' objective contained in the 'Sustainable Communities Strategy, Southwark 2010'. The strategy sets out our plans for promoting new housing, improving the quality and management of existing housing, addressing the housing needs of the borough, preventing homelessness and eliminating rough sleeping.

The Housing Strategy 2005-2010 has been developed through a rigorous and inclusive consultation process which started in summer 2008 and encompassed twelve months of consultation with a range of stakeholders and partner agencies. It takes into account:

An evidence base including the private sector house condition survey 2008 (PSHCS), the council's stock condition survey 2009, the Southwark Housing Requirements Study 2008 (SHRS), the sub-regional Strategic Housing Market Assessment and other Southwark Council internal housing data

Government strategy and policy including the housing green paper (July 2007), "Homes for the future: more affordable more sustainable", the Housing Regeneration Act 2008; "No one left out: Communities ending rough sleeping"

London strategy and policy including the Mayor's draft London Housing Strategy (which will be finalised in early 2010, the London Plan, and the new draft London Plan

Sub-regional strategy and policy as set out in the South East London Housing Strategy. The Southwark Housing Strategy will in turn influence the next South East London Housing Strategy.

How did the council develop this consultation document?

With the Housing Strategy Review Board2 we identified key housing issues for the strategy and discussed them at our housing conference in October 2003.

Out of this, the Housing Strategy Review Board developed our draft strategic aim, objectives and values and an outline of what the strategy should include.

We then consulted with councillors, the local strategic partnership (Southwark Alliance),

Housing Problems in Southwark

Housing Association Group and key officers across the council on the aim and priorities of the strategy and on our plans for consulting with partners, stakeholders and residents.

What does this consultation document cover?

It is a summary of what we think are the key housing issues for Southwark and what we intend to do about them over the next five years.

It shows how our housing strategy is affected by, and links, to other strategies and plans.

Some parts of this outline strategy have already been widely consulted on and implementation plans, informed by that consultation, ...