The Kent Housing Group

www.kenthousingroup.org.uk/@KentHsgGroup

Tracey Kerly, Chair, Kent Housing Group

Who is the Kent Housing Group?

• “The Voice of Housing in Kent”• A forum for social housing landlords and

affiliated members who share the same vision about housing in Kent

• Representation from all 12 District and Borough Councils, major stockholding housing associations, KCC, the HCA and the NLA

LEADERSHIP

FORUMHOUSING STRATEGY

KENT

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KENT HOUSING GROUP

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

What is our vision and our aims?

• To represent the collective voice of all housing providers across the County

• To provide strategic leadership, shaping and setting regional and national housing agendas

• Drawing in resources to benefit the residents of Kent

• Improving the quality and supply of housing in the public and private sectors of Kent

5

The Strategy

aims to:

Reflect as well as influence Government

Priorities

Be Fit for

Purpose

Be an inclusive process that

builds on existing

Strategies

Promote

Innovation

Celebrate Examples of Best Practice

Add value and contribute to

delivery of local ambitions

Make a Case for

Government Investment

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

What have we achieved?

• Development and refresh of the Kent and Medway Housing Strategy

• The KHG Rural Housing Protocol

• Housing for the Third Age• The KHG Viability

Protocol• Training Events

• KHG Employment Support Protocol

• Better Homes: Accessible Housing

• Creating Sustainable Communities in Kent

• The Kent and Medway Tenancy Strategy

• KHG Eviction Strategy• Annual Seminar

Kent Housing Group‘The Voice of Housing in Kent’

Rural Priority:Developed a Kent and Medway Rural Housing Protocol, to create an innovative environment to enable, and act as a catalyst for, an increase in the delivery of affordable local needs housing in rural areas:

• Affordability-average rural house price substantially higher than average house prices.

• Support Kent’s Rural economy- 40% of the County’s businesses are based in rural areas

• 85% of the land in Kent and Medway is classed as rural.

• Maintaining and building thriving Rural communities

• Meeting Local Needs

What challenges lay ahead?• Changes in Political Agendas• Changes in funding streams• Affordability - NPPF defines affordable housing as: Social rented,

affordable rented and intermediate housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market.

• Social rented about 65% market• Affordable rented 80% market• Intermediate shared ownership- min share of 25%, rent on balance 3% of

unsold equity capital value.• Refresh of the Kent and Medway Housing Strategy Themed lead strategy

to support the delivery across the County.• The Accommodation Strategy –need for specialist accommodation and

how we can join together to assist in delivery

•

What are our future ambitions?

• Change to the KHG Governance Structure• Continue to be a lobby group with Government

for FUNDING for more affordable homes• Deliver the political ambitions working with CE’s

and Leaders• Deliver the Kent and Medway Strategy • Voice of Housing through the LEP focussing on

the business growth and investment.

How will we succeed?

• Working in partnership• The value of working in a collaborative way across

Kent• The value that Housing can play in economic growth

and the economy of Kent. • Supporting the most vulnerable in Kent• Reduce Homelessness, Rough sleepers, Health

inequalities.• Reduce HWL reduce numbers of empty homes • Increased affordable homes