Strategic housing and support service
We are here to support our residents to be financially secure and live in housing that is warm, safe and healthy.
Strategic Housing and Support provides a range of services and they include:
- working with landlords and tenants to improve private rented property conditions
- licencing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)
- support to install home energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements
- help to manage housing costs and other bills with free money and debt advice
- financial support for problem home energy debt and bills
- responding to complaints and work to bring empty hosing back in to use
- Licencing Park Homes sites and delivering Fit and Proper Persons Tests
- accrediting local private landlords to build stronger partnerships
- setting up new private rented tenancies to help those at risk of homelessness
Strategic Housing and Support have been busy delivering frontline services during 2023-24.
Here is a snapshot of what the Strategic Housing and Support Service has delivered this year:
Housing and Neighbourhood Improvement Team
- 149 private rented properties visited, and 123 hazardous housing conditions removed
- through the ‘Better Homes Agbrigg’ project
- the ‘Wakefield Responsible Landlord Scheme’ has continued to build stronger landlord relationships
- attracting 33 new members and processing 61 membership renewals
- 65 empty homes brought back in to use as a result of Strategic Housing’s advice and support
Home Support Team
- 712 households supported with free money, debt, and income maximisation advice
- through the ‘Money Smart’ scheme
- 107 households supported with £207,000 of vital ‘Energy Debt Fund’ grants
- through the cost-of-living crisis
- 36 events delivered all over the district to promote and raise awareness of the valuable housing support available
Housing Enforcement and Standards Team
- 587 private rented sector complaints serviced
- resulted in 599 hazardous housing conditions being removed, creating healthier homes to live in.
- 28 new licences issued for Houses in Multiple Occupation
- making sure they are safe to live in and meet the required standards.
- 71 new tenancies set up through the ground-breaking ‘Private Rented Sector Access Scheme’
- providing vital accommodation for those at risk of homelessness
Home Energy Team
- £1.5m secured through the Government’s ‘Home Upgrade Grant 2’ scheme
- supporting residents with fully funded home energy efficiency improvements to stay warm and reduce the risk to fuel poverty
- 393 referrals serviced and provided with a range of housing support
- through the ‘Healthy Housing Pathway’
- over 500 free energy saving plugs given out through community events
- 44 emergency electric heaters supplied to vulnerable residents, who had broken heating
- 83 households supported to install free loft/cavity wall insulation
- through the ‘Connected for Warmth’ scheme, helping residents to save energy and money
More information
For more information you can contact us using the following:
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