We asked, you said, we did

We asked

We asked for your views on the draft Housing Strategy 2023 - 28, which sets our strategic direction for housing activity in the borough over the next five year. The themes of the Housing Strategy are:

• Prevent homelessness and support rough sleepers off the streets
• Deliver the right homes in the right places
• Ensure safe, sustainable council housing
• Raise quality and standards in the private rented sector
• Support living well by promoting healthy homes and wellbeing.

You said

We received 63 responses to the online questionnaire, while 44 attended targeted focus groups. Overall, two thirds of respondents were supportive of the vision in the strategy. The comments we received indicated that:

• you were concerned about the lack of housing affordability in Barnet, particularly for middle income households
• you expressed a need for more wheelchair accessible homes in the borough
• there should be more emphasis on tenants living in social housing downsizing to more manageable properties
• you looked for more action to counter damp and mould in all homes irrespective of tenure
• you welcomed the emphasis on homelessness prevention and wanted to see more done in response to the challenge of providing mental health support.

We did

The comments we received were taken into consideration in the final version of the Strategy which was approved by the council’s Cabinet on 18 July 2023. In particular:

• we are working with Barnet Homes to provide new homes for social and affordable rent
• our planning guidelines require developers to provide mobility homes and wheelchair homes
• Barnet Homes has expanded its programme to encourage tenants to downsize
• Barnet Homes has introduced a substantial programme of works to address damp & mould. We are encouraging other housing providers to follow this example
• our Homelessness Strategy addresses the need for supporting homeless people with mental health needs.