What we are proposing
All local councils should ensure that a suitable amount of affordable housing is provided in their area. Access to, and the need for, 'affordable' housing is mainly based on the level of household income.
The main options for affordable housing in Fareham are homes for social rent, homes for affordable rent and shared ownership. These are normally provided by Fareham Council or a Registered Provider (such as a Housing Association).
There are around 4,200 affordable homes in the Borough and we estimate that another 3,500 will be needed by 2036.
To plan for future affordable housing in Fareham the Council has produced a Draft Affordable Housing Strategy. The Strategy explains:
• How the need for affordable housing will be built into the Council's planning and policy documents, with the majority of affordable homes being delivered by housing developers.
• A vision for delivery of Council housing, including the main sites where Council housing can be delivered over the next five years.
We asked for resident's view on the Draft Affordable Housing Strategy, including the three key objectives set out in the Strategy.
You Said
There were 49 responses to the draft strategy. There was strong support for an additional ‘action’ to be added to Objective 2 of the document to ‘produce a policy that seeks to identify appropriate ‘green’ opportunities and solutions for Council owned housing stock (current and/or new)’. There was general support for the amendments to the strategy.
We Did
In October 2019 the Council adopted the new Affordable Housing Strategy. It can be viewed via the PDF link above, more information about it can also be viewed on the Council press release page for October 2019.
The Affordable Housing strategy, with amendments as above, was adopted by the Council at an Executive meeting on 7th October 2019.
It outlines the Council’s intention to build further Council homes. These are
included together with further actions which support the three Key Objectives of the
Affordable Housing Strategy:
• To deliver more affordable homes through the planning system;
• To ensure those homes are the right homes in the right places and that they are truly affordable
for those that need them; and
• To directly deliver more affordable homes by Registered Providers and Fareham Housing, especially
targeting those in greater need.