Government Offices have a key role in delivering the Government’s vision that everyone should live in a decent home. Housing is the policy responsibility of Communities and Local Government, and the Government Offices work to deliver a number of the Department’s housing targets in the regions. They use their local knowledge both to work with a range of partners to promote and improve understanding of the Government’s housing policy and to influence the development of new housing initiatives.
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Government Office for the South West works to deliver two of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) housing targets, also known as Public Service Agreements (PSA):
DCLG PSA 5: Achieve a better balance between housing availability and the demand for housing, including improving affordability, in all English regions while protecting valuable countryside around our towns, cities and in the green belt and the sustainability of towns and cities.
DCLG PSA 7: By 2010, bring all social housing into a decent condition with most of this improvement taking place in deprived areas, and for vulnerable households in the private sector, including families with children, increase the proportion who live in homes that are in decent condition.
We use our local knowledge and work with a range of partners to promote and improve understanding of the Government’s housing policy and to influence the development of new housing initiatives.
To help local authorities improve their performance we provide feedback and encourage them to take a strategic approach to their housing responsibilities.
We also work with the Regional Housing Body and assist in the delivery of the revised Regional Housing Strategy 2005-16. The three strategic aims of the Regional Housing Strategy are to:
- improve the balance of housing markets in the region to tackle issues of housing affordability, homelessness and the use of temporary accommodation
- improve the environmental quality and design of new developments and the quality of existing homes
- Support sustainable communities ensuring housing policies promote social inclusion, and mixed and balanced communities
We will do this by:
- Supporting a jointly-funded pilot programme of sub-regional housing market assessments and sharing good practice and results.
- Developing an 'action planning' process for key local authorities to tackle issues relating to housing delivery, including affordable housing provision.
- Supporting Local Authorities to bring all social housing into decent condition and increase the proportion of private housing in decent condition for vulnerable groups by 2010.
- Assessing and signing off the option appraisals carried out by the authorities that own council housing.
- Working with DCLG and local authorities to improve their homelessness services and develop comprehensive homelessness strategies.
- Working with Gypsies and Travellers unit in DCLG and local authorities to build a robust evidence base for the needs of this group and identify appropriate new sites in the region.
- Helping local housing authorities in the South West achieve 'fit for purpose' housing strategies.
- Contributing a housing dimension to work carried out across Government Office for the South West with the aim of creating balanced and sustainable communities.
The Regional Housing Strategy 2005-16 is available to download below.
