The council has received an allocation of £1,025,000 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for 2006/07 to help improve housing conditions in the private sector in Eastbourne.
Poor quality housing can have an impact on the health of its occupants. Whilst it is primarily the responsibility of homeowners to maintain their own property, some homeowners, particularly the elderly and most vulnerable, do not have the resources to keep their homes in good repair. The council therefore has an important role to provide and facilitate assistance in these cases.
The council has produced an innovative private sector renewal action plan focusing on both owner occupiers and private sector landlords offering a flexible range of grants, loans and other help to improve private sector housing. We are now consulting on our draft Housing Renewal Policy and HMO Standards, which are on our website and available at the Customer Contact Centre at 1 Grove Road for the public to view.
Eastbourne Borough Council cabinet Spokesperson for Housing, Health and Community Services, Councillor Sandie Howlett says, “I am delighted that the council has been awarded this sum which will be used to help as many households as possible by loans, grants etc. As a council we recognise our role to help private householders and landlords and look forward to seeing the benefits of this funding in Eastbourne.”
In preparing the new policy, information on conditions/need has been drawn from local and regional studies to ensure resources are targeted toward tackling the worst conditions and helping those most in need.
In particular, the council is keen to increase the proportion of vulnerable households in the private sector who live in homes that are in a decent condition and will provide Decent Homes Assistance to enable the over 60s or those with a disability on means tested benefit to stay in their own homes.
The new Housing Renewal Policy will focus on key themes, they are:
Targeted activity towards vulnerable households, in particular those in the older age brackets and on low incomes.
Measures to improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort.
Targeted use of resources to adapt inappropriate housing.
An innovative options approach towards adaptations – including offering higher level repayable discretionary grants to assist with moving as an alternative to grants, where properties do not lend themselves to adaptations.
Home security measures – targeted towards vulnerable households including those at risk of homelessness due to fear of violence.
Activities to bring empty properties back in to use.
The new policy will ensure that homes in Eastbourne are improved and brought up to a standard of decency and landlords are given incentives to help provide well managed, good quality homes.
