Rotherham Council’s Cabinet is set to recommend that the Council approves plans to deliver hundreds more homes and invest £856m into its housing stock when it meets on Monday 22 January.
The Housing Revenue Account Business Plan makes funding provision of £126m for hundreds more Council homes by 2026 and commits £856m to invest in the Council’s housing stock, alongside day-to-day housing management and repairs and maintenance costs.
This includes investing £31.9m in Council homes to pay for items such as new kitchens, bathrooms, boilers and roofs, including £1.2m set aside to continue the refurbishment of flood-damaged properties in Catcliffe. Investment in tackling damp and mould in homes will be increased to £2m, and an initial £500,000 will be set aside to conduct a detailed survey of Rotherham’s Council housing to inform future investment decisions.
It will also see investment in decency and energy efficiency plans.
Nearly 20,000 Rotherham households are Council tenancies.
The Council has pledged to deliver hundreds of new homes across the borough by 2026 through its Housing Delivery Programme. This is by either building new properties or through housing acquisitions including from private developers and the open market.
The Council has seen a significant increase in damp and mould referrals in our homes and, in line with the Damp, Mould and Condensation Policy, is committed to tackling this through additional investment. Our costs have significantly increased with inflation, amounting to 17.8 per cent over two years, at the same time as demand for our services has risen, with more than 6,500 households waiting for a council home and hundreds of homelessness cases a month.
To support the programme of investment, Cabinet is set to recommend that Council approves a 7.7 per cent increase in council rents in line with Government policy. Around two-thirds of Council tenants are in receipt of Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, so will receive some or all of their rents paid from these benefits. In addition, shared ownership rents are proposed to increase by 9.4 per cent with a six per cent rise in charges for shared facilities such as garages and parking spaces, communal facilities and laundry facilities.
Cabinet is also set to approve a reduction in District Heating charges, paid by 1,260 households around the borough, with the unit rate decreasing to 15.27p per kwh, meaning that these households will see lower energy bills.
Deputy Leader of Rotherham Council, Cllr Sarah Allen said: “It is vital that the funding is available to the Council to maintain safe, good quality and well-managed homes while investing in new affordable housing.
“Our housing budget has been put under pressure as a result of inflation increasing costs and the impact of the government’s price cap.
“Building new council homes is a key priority for us, to ensure that more residents are able to access affordable housing which suits their needs.
“At the same time, we will continue to support tenants to manage their finances during the cost of living crisis. We recognise that housing costs are often one of the biggest financial outgoings for residents.”
The Council is committed to supporting tenants experiencing financial difficulties and will do this through continuing early intervention and arrears prevention. Work will continue to support tenants to pay their rent, including offering additional support to vulnerable tenants to help with money, benefits and debt advice.
Further information about council homes and shared ownership is available by visiting www.rotherham.gov.uk/housing