Housing declaration 'has certainly made progress and gained attention'
A year after declaring a 'housing crisis', councillors in the South Hams will today discuss what's been achieved
Last updated 1st Dec 2022
A year after declaring a 'Housing Crisis', South Hams District Council will today discuss the impact it's made - with councillors expecting work to continue.
The declaration followed concerns about 'the almost complete lack of any rented accommodation available for six months or longer that local people and those working in the area can access'.
There were also concerns about 'the excessive rise in house prices locally due to second homeowners and those moving in from other areas since the pandemic, which has made house prices completely inaccessible for the great majority of local people'.
Today's meeting will outline what actions were set out a year ago |newtab) and the progress made against each one.
The council has already written to the Government calling for changes |newtab)
The housing crisis declaration saw 12 points which needed to be addressed, which a report |newtab) at the time says were 'wide-ranging, encompassing the need to lobby for legislation change to address structural problems as well as direct actions that the council can take to address acute problems on the ground'.
Earlier this month Cllr Judy Pearce appeared at a parliamentary select committee to discuss the challenges around short-term lets. The leader also appeared beside a councillor for Westminster and the two discovered they shared similar concerns
Following the meeting, the council says 'As the Levelling Up Bill continues on its path through Parliament it will be important to lobby for clarity around the 200% Council Tax premium for second homes'.
Once concern in the original declaration was to ' immediately review all holiday letting in the district to ensure that the owners are paying the correct amount for the removal of waste and recycling'.
Today's report says 'from April the qualification for small business rate relief has changed. Not only will the property be required to be available for at least 140 days a year, evidence will need to be provided to prove it was let for 70 days. Currently there is no requirement to provide evidence and these changes are designed to target those who take advantage of the system to avoid paying their fair share towards local services'.
Another suggestion, a year ago, was to 'use some of the affordable housing revenue to increase payments made to those tenants downsizing to make the move more attractable and affordable'.
The council says 'members agreed changes to the Tenants Incentive Scheme for downsizers which increased the size of the incentive payment up to a maximum of £5,000. This has had a real impact with 15 households have taken advantage of this with a further 4 accepted and awaiting a tenancy start date. People living in accommodation too large for their needs have downsized and their existing home made available to a family waiting on Devon Home Choice or in temporary accommodation'.
The report adds 'in September 2022 there were no three-bedroom properties in the whole of the South Hams available at the local housing allowance for private rent' and they are urging Government to 'review of the local housing allowance and broad market area'.
This week we've been looking at housing concerns and the response to them in Devon
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Rosebarn Park evictions show 'renters need better protections'
Teignbridge has almost the same number of second homes as people on the housing waiting list