The Adult Social Services, Health and Housing Committee was scheduled to discuss a new policy for offering private rented sector accommodation to homeless individuals and to review the committee's work programme. The meeting's agenda also included standard procedural items such as receiving apologies, declarations of interest, petitions, and ward concerns.

Private Rented Sector Offer Policy

A significant item on the agenda was the proposed adoption of a Private Rented Sector Offer (PRSO) Policy. This policy aims to establish a clear framework for the council to utilise private rented accommodation to fulfil its statutory housing duty to homeless individuals, provided that specific legal requirements are met. The report highlighted that recent changes to the private rented sector, including the Renters Rights Act, are intended to provide tenants with greater security of tenure.

The PRSO Policy is presented as a component of a broader homelessness transformation programme within Richmond. This programme seeks to shift the council's operating model from reactive crisis management towards earlier prevention, improved triage, faster move-on from temporary accommodation, and more effective use of the private rented sector. The policy includes safeguards to ensure that any offer of accommodation is suitable for the household, considering individual circumstances such as affordability, property size, health and mobility needs, and access to essential services like schools, employment, transport, and support networks. Applicants would retain the right to request a statutory review if they believe an offer is not suitable.

The report indicated that the adoption of this policy is expected to contribute to ending homelessness and reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation. It was also noted that the policy is compatible with primary legislation, including the Housing Act 1996 (as amended) and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. The financial implications of the policy were also discussed, with projections suggesting potential savings of up to £2 million per year by accelerating the discharge of duty compared to the current average time clients spend in temporary accommodation.

Committee Work Programme

The committee was also scheduled to consider its work plan for future business. This involves reviewing upcoming topics and ensuring the committee's agenda aligns with its responsibilities and the council's priorities. The work programme outlines decisions to be made by the committee, including key decisions that are likely to result in significant expenditure or savings, or have substantial effects on local residents.

The report pack also included an extensive Equality Impact and Needs Assessment (EINA) for the proposed Private Rented Sector Offer Policy. This assessment analysed the potential impacts of the policy across various protected characteristics, including age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race/ethnicity, religion and belief, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The EINA detailed demographic data for Richmond and compared it with national and London averages, highlighting areas where certain groups are overrepresented in homelessness applications. It also outlined proposed actions to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion and identified data gaps that require further attention.