Issue - meetings

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Customer Services and by a representative of the Executive Director for Customer Services.

The Mayor was then addressed by the Chair of the Housing Select Committee, Councillor Carl Handley, who presented an addendum report. He outlined the Select Committee’s broad support for the proposals and highlighted the need to create an ethos within any organisation responsible for housing that was committed to building more houses. He also urged Lewisham Homes to develop tenants who could serve on its Management Committee.

In response, the Mayor indicated he intended to hold a dialogue with other Registered Social Landlords in Lewisham to see if the Lewisham Homes stock improvement proposals could be replicated. In terms of developing tenant representatives who could serve on the Lewisham Homes Board, he said he was happy to pursue the suggestion in principle but had to be sure actions were pursued at the right time.

Having considered the officer report, and the presentations by the Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Councillor Susan Wise, and the Chair of the Housing Select Committee, Councillor Carl Handley, the Mayor then:

RESOLVED

that

(i) the findings of the discussion with residents about the possible options for addressing Lewisham’s housing challenges be noted;

(ii) the potential options for continuing the conversation with residents and the associated strengths and weaknesses of each be noted;

(iii) as there was limited support expressed among residents for the option of transfer to an existing housing association, and because the resident-led option offers greater potential to respond to residents concerns about rents and security of tenure for new as well as existing residents, transfer to an existing housing association be no longer pursued as part of this process;

(iv) as residents prefer retention with the ALMO to retention with a return to Council Management, and because a return to Council management at this stage would put at risk the delivery of the current Decent Homes programme, the option of a return to Council management of the stock be no longer pursued as part of this process;

(v) the two possible options remaining options be noted namely:

1.         that the Council ceases all further options appraisal activities, retains the ALMO as is, and works within the budgetary limits the Council faces as a landlord, or

2.         that the Council works alongside residents, Lewisham Homes and other bodies to better understand how, by retaining but evolving Lewisham Homes - with a view to a possible transfer of ownership to Lewisham Homes as a resident-led organisation – it might attract further investment, increase resident control, deliver residents’ aspirations and address their concerns; and

(vi) on the basis of the appraisal of the options set out and having considered the further information including the required further financial and technical assessments set out , option 2 should be pursued.