Guidance and useful information
The Housing publications page has copies of our current information leaflets, together with our main strategy and policy documents. Partner organisations may also find the following documents useful.
Strategy for Supported Housing 2015 to 2020
This strategy outlines the Supported Housing Commissioning Team's vision and commissioning intentions for the next five years.
Strategy for Supported Housing 2015 to 2020 [PDF] (file size 368Kb)
Strategy for modernising older people's housing
In 2013 the Council adopted a strategy for modernising older people's housing and accommodation with care services. The strategy was developed jointly between Housing and Adult Social Care. It outlines the Council’s vision to improve the quality, quantity and choice of housing options for older people and to help us to meet future need. This includes developing new retirement housing to replace existing poor quality sheltered housing and more extra care housing. You can read a copy of the strategy below.
Older people's housing design guide
As part of its commitment to improve the quality of older people's housing in the borough – outlined in the Modernising Older People’s Housing and Accommodation with Care Strategy (2013) – the Council has been reviewing its own housing stock and seeking opportunities to develop new extra care and retirement housing.
To assist this process the Housing department asked PRP architects to prepare the Older People’s Housing Design Guidance. This guidance, which was adopted as Housing policy on 19 November 2015, outlines the Council's expectations for older people's housing. It provides detailed descriptions of design standards and other factors to consider when designing an older people’s housing scheme to ensure it supports the needs and aspirations of older people.
The Council and its partners will use the guidance when developing any extra care and retirement housing in the borough. The guidance will also help private developers working in the borough to understand our expectations and help to ensure that all new homes for older people, either for rent or sale, are high quality and desirable places to live in.
Access audit checklist
The access audit checklist has been developed to help housing landlords to identify barriers to accessibility. It covers both the approaches to and communal areas of housing blocks and estates, starting from the approach to the building to the dwelling front doors. This replicates the journey that residents and visitors will make.
The checklist has been created as an interactive PDF, allowing you to complete electronically, save and print. Alternatively the PDF can be printed and completed by hand.
Checklist [PDF] (file size 527Kb)
Housing factsheets
We have put together some factsheets on housing issues, which may be useful to your tenants. They can be downloaded from the website, or for printed copies call Housingline on 020 7361 3008.
Improving household energy efficiency
The Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) requires local authorities to report to Government on practical actions underway to improve household energy efficiency in their area. Progress reports are to be submitted at two yearly intervals up to March 2027.
Royal Borough’s report here [PDF] (file size 203Kb)
It provides a snapshot of housing and demographics in the borough, outlines the current trends in domestic energy use, and goes on to detail current and planned activity to improve household energy efficiency.