Luton Borough Council

28/01/2022 - Have your say on our new Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy

We are launching a consultation related to our new policy for providing grants and loans to help vulnerable people adapt and improve their homes.

The council is allocated a sum of money each year by the government, to be used specifically for mandatory adaptations through Disabled Facilities Grants. We also have discretionary funding which supports other adaptations works, as well as improvements and extensions to homes.

Our policy provides an overview of this funding framework and the regulatory control around it; and sets out how eligibility is decided and how the council will administer the funds. Adaptations to council homes are not covered.

The policy sets out the various forms of assistance that the council offers and clarifies whether the assistance is provided in the form of a grant or a loan.

It provides information about eligibility requirements and the terms and conditions of accepting and receiving the assistance, which recipients will be required to agree to.

The type of support offered through the policy includes: support for disabled residents to live independently in their home; support for alleviating fuel poverty by introducing low-carbon and energy efficiency measures to reduce heating bills; support for improving the quality of the home to increase the supply of decent and liveable homes in Luton; and also to ensure that people have enough living space.

The policy also contributes to the overarching local strategy of ensuring our town is a place where everyone can thrive by 2040, as the policy includes provision for reducing the cost of living for Luton’s most vulnerable residents and preventing homelessness by supporting residents to stay in their homes.

We are now seeking the views of anyone who wishes to take part.

Cllr Tom Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “Ensuring we have the right support in place for those who need it is very important in helping us to achieve our Luton 2040 goals. We can only be a town where everyone can thrive if some of our most vulnerable residents are looked after.

“Taking a few moments to read our policy document and respond to the survey will tell us whether the criteria and processes we have set for administering the discretionary fund are the right ones, or whether we need to make changes to the policy before it is approved and adopted.”

Follow this link for details of the documents and to complete the survey

The consultation is currently open and will run until 13th March 2022.