Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director of Place (Economic Growth and Housing)

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director of Place (Economic Growth and Housing) that updated on the work of the Housing Standards Team in response to issues of damp and mould in residential properties in the borough.

The report indicated that following the death of a two-year old child, Awaab Ishak, from a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home in Rochdale, and the subsequent Coroner’s inquest, the Chief Executive of the Regulator for Social Housing wrote to all registered providers of social housing requesting information on the provider’s response to managing damp and mould cases in their homes. 

The report advised that the Housing Standards Team (HST) was responsible for housing enforcement activity, including on vacant homes, and managing the Council’s mandatory, additional HMO and selective landlord licencing schemes and that this was primarily based on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and that the majority of the damp and mould caseload managed by the HST related to privately rented properties; and detailed how action could be taken to alleviate problems, including the use of the Council’s Landlord Licensing Scheme. In the Social Housing Sector, the legal duty and responsibility for resolving complaints was imposed by the Regulator of Social Housing direct onto social landlords (i.e. not with the Council in the first instance).

The report detailed that in response to the Awaab Ishak case, a number of actions were carried out relating to the Council’s management of damp and mould cases in the borough via:

·       Housing Enforcement Policy

·       Website updates

·       Communication campaign

·       Staff training and equipment

·       Data analysis

·       Staff guidance

·       Engagement with registered providers

The report concluded that the death of Awaab Ishak had raised awareness of the dangers of mould in residential properties and that the reaction within the housing sector, particularly the social housing sector, had been significant; and that although the approach to damp and mould issues in the Sefton had been subject to review, both by senior managers, and through internal audit, the HST continues to look for improvements and opportunities to supplement the current approach.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       The inspection and enforcement regime employed by the Council, under the terms of the Housing Act 2004, to combat the Category 1 and Category 2 hazards associated with damp and mould in properties; and problems experienced due to differing expectations of landlords and tenants as to the satisfactory resolution of such hazards

·       Concern was expressed at the Category 2 damp and mould hazards being found in in 30% of privately rented homes in Sefton; and how this figure compared with other comparable local authorities

·       the legal duty and responsibility placed on the social housing sector for resolving complaints, as imposed by the Regulator of Social Housing direct onto social landlords, was acknowledged and data was sought on the satisfactory resolution of complaints

·       in respect of the Communication Campaign around the issue of damp and mould, using the Council’s communications channels over the winter period when damp and mould issues were at their most acute, was referred to; and questions were asked on the format of the campaign, and whether an evaluation/feedback exercise had been undertaken to gauge the campaign’s success

·       it was noted that the approach to damp and mould issues in the borough had been subject to review, both by senior managers, and through internal audit, and that the service continued to look for improvements and opportunities to supplement the current approach; and information was sought on whether Sefton had collaborated with Liverpool City Region or other north west local authorities on this matter and on efforts to identify additional funding to continue to make a sustained impact in this area

·       the use of case management systems to enable housing officers to spend more time on inspection and enforcement duties in the field rather than having to continually return to their office base

·       the use by landlords of Section 21 notices to evict tenants from their homes to enable extensive renovations of property to be undertaken; the implications of this to the Council when families then presented themselves as homeless; and what type of accommodation was available

for rehousing families in such circumstances

·       the success of the multi-agency approach whereby council and public health had a number of staff members who regularly visited resident’s homes (for example health visitors and social workers) to ensure that the opportunity to identify damp and mould cases was maximised.

RESOLVED:

That the approach in response to issues of damp and mould in residential properties in Sefton be endorsed.