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RESOLVED:
 
1. 
The Hackney Housing Strategy Position Statement,
attached as Appendix 1 to the report, was agreed.
 
2. 
The temporary position was adopted ahead of the formal
publication of the new five-year strategy
 
REASONS FOR DECISION
 
Cabinet approval of the Housing Strategy
Position Statement 2024/25 is sought in order to provide the
Council and its partners with a vision and a roadmap to guide their
housing and related activities until the publication of the new
strategy. This is also intended to provide Hackney residents with a
clear and accessible summary of the Council’s priorities and
approach to meeting the borough’s housing challenges over the
coming years.
 
There has been little to no improvement to the
accessibility of housing for those on average household incomes
over the years, with the average house price always sitting between
13-19 times the average income. With the average house price at
£590,000 and average household income at £31,580,
outright ownership is simply not a viable option for many. In July
2024, average monthly rents soared to £2,361 a month, making
it clear that any and all affordable housing options still remain a
high priority in the borough.
 
The Council and its partners have an excellent
track record in the provision of new affordable housing. Despite
this, growing demand in London and severe and worsening housing
affordability have meant that housing need is rising faster than
supply.
 
There are still over 3,400 homeless households
in temporary accommodation and over 8,500 on the waiting list.
There are residents with increasingly complex medical conditions
and disabilities, including large multi-generational families
caring for each other in the same dwelling. These more complex
housing needs put even more strain on the housing register, health
services and social care teams and make the need for more housing
and more specialist housing even more acute. The Council will be
unable to continue delivering key services and duties with the
current stock if nothing changes.
 
The decision to produce another position
statement on the Council’s housing priorities was to enable
Hackney to align its new Housing Strategy priorities with the
direction of travel for the Local Plan review, due to take place in
2025.
 
Adoption of the proposed Housing Strategy
Position Statement does not itself have any direct financial
implications. The Strategy contains a list of broad actions for the
Council and partners that will provide a clear framework for
ensuring that available resources are targeted towards meeting
need. It is expected that the vast majority of actions could be
delivered within existing or identified budgets.
 
DETAILS OF ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND
REJECTED
 
A Housing Strategy is not a statutory
requirement for local authorities, an alternative option for the
Council would be not to produce this position statement and leave a
gap between the strategies. However, it was decided to produce this
position statement because of the benefits that it offers. Some of
these are set out below, and all of which could be lost if there
was no strategy in place:
· 
It clearly articulates the Council’s proposed response to the
huge housing challenges faced by the Council and its residents.
· 
It provides a clear statement of the Council’s vision and
priorities for housing, for residents, partners and other
stakeholders.
· 
For Council officers and partners in particular, it helps shape
actions and helps target resources towards meeting the highest
housing needs.
· 
It shows how housing and other services across Council will work
together to help address the housing and housing-related needs and
aspirations of residents.
· 
It highlights linkages and sets out how housing and housing
providers can contribute to residents’ health and wellbeing,
as well as enabling residents to secure training and jobs.
· 
Together with planning policies and guidance, it provides other
housing providers with an overarching statement of the
Council’s priorities and approach.
· 
It will directly shape a detailed action plan that will be drawn up
and implemented if the proposed paper is adopted.
· 
It helps to address how we will approach our priorities in the
present context, as there are a number of significant changes that
have occurred since the previous strategy was published.