Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy

2.1Aims

The Council seeks to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of residents of the Borough who live in private sector housing, through the promotion and delivery of a range of assistance that supports residents to live independently and well by providing statutory Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) and other discretionary assistance that helps to improve and maintain the condition of properties.

The Council will ensure that the available capital resources are focussed on meeting the needs of the most vulnerable. This focus needs to be set in the context of greater demands on DFG resources and increasing pressures on some of the most vulnerable households in relation to the costs of maintaining and heating their homes.

2.2Priorities

The key priorities for this policy are to:

• facilitate disabled and people with mobility issues to live independently in their own homes
• facilitate people living with cognitive, neuro-diverse and sensory impairments to live independently in their own homes
• facilitate safe hospital discharge that enables people to receive on-going health care at home
• prevent imminent hospital admission or the need for admission to care where health and care needs can be met safely at home
• support the provision of measures that will help vulnerable households feel safe and secure in their own homes and contribute towards maintaining independent living
• tackle housing conditions that represent a hazard to the occupier's health and wellbeing, focusing on the most vulnerable households to achieve a solution that will meet their longer-term needs
• meet the needs of disabled residents by supporting the delivery of one-off capital projects