Housing Strategies

The need and demand for access to high-quality and affordable housing in Worcester is high and a key strategic priority for the City Council.

The Housing Enabling Strategy provides the strategic vision, methodology and increased focus on the provision of affordable housing in Worcester. It is a recognition that a coordinated and robust approach is required to meet the challenges posed and to promote a coordinated and effective response to maximise the opportunities to deliver more affordable housing in the City.

pdf Housing Assistance Policy (296 KB)

The Housing Assistance Policy, sets out the basis on which an agent working on behalf of Worcester City Council will offer financial assistance for works of repair or renewal in the private housing sector.  The document outlines a range of financial assistance and the key objective of the policy is to assist vulnerable people to achieve decent, suitable and affordable homes in sustainable communities. It is to be read in conjunction with the City Council's Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy which is currently being updated and subject to review.

pdf Housing Enforcement Policy (286 KB)

The Housing Act 2004 introduced powers for local authorities to assess housing conditions and contained a package of enforcement measures. These powers, together with other legislation such as the Housing Act 1985 and Protection from Eviction Act 1977, can be used to tackle poor housing conditions. The purpose of the enforcement policy is to outline the Council's approach to tackling poor housing conditions particularly in the private sector and the approach we will take when considering enforcement action ensuring that we deal with everyone in a consistent and fair way.

Officers will continue to follow Covid-19 guidance and continue to consider, on a case by case basis, any Covid-19 related reasonable difficulties which landlords have found while meeting their legal obligations.

pdf Worcestershire Strategic  Housing Partnership Plan  (7.91 MB)

The Worcestershire Housing Partnership Plan (Plan) is the overarching document setting the strategic direction for housing across Worcestershire. It recognises that to maximise the health, wealth and wellbeing of the residents of Worcestershire and make the most effective use of existing resources, we need to work very closely with partner organisations across a range of sectors. 

An annual update on progress is reported with the publication of an annual state of the nation plan.

In response to the Localism Act (2012), the Worcester City Tenancy Strategy has been developed:

• To ensure that affordable housing meets local housing need
• To provide guidance and direction to RP partners in the development of their tenancy policies
• To provide a framework for up to date knowledge of the housing market in Worcestershire that can then be used to inform policy and practice
• To indicate to tenants and prospective tenants what they can expect from their tenancy

pdf Private Sector Housing Strategy (8.87 MB)

The Worcester City Private Sector Renewal Strategy sets out how we will improve conditions within the private sector and enable people to remain in their own homes.

pdf Private Sector Housing Strategy Action Plan Extension (7.15 MB)

Extension of the Worcester City Housing Strategy Action Plan until 2022

pdf Worcestershire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (290 KB)

Currently being updated

pdf Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (310 KB)

The Act requires that every energy conservation authority prepares a report to send to the Secretary of State. The report will be required to be published on the authorities website with a link sent to the Secretary of State by the specified date.

"The report shall set out energy conservation measures that the authority considers practicable, cost effective and likely to result in significant improvement in the energy efficiency of residential accommodation in its area"

Definitions- "energy conservation authority" means a local housing authority within the meaning of the Housing Act 1985 "energy conservation measures" includes information, advice, education, promotion, making grants and loans and carrying out works "residential accommodation" means premises occupied or intended to be occupied as a separate dwelling and forming the whole or part of a building

pdf Private Sector Housing Research Project 2012  (414 KB)

This report has been prepared following an instruction from Worcester City Council to undertake an investigation into the best use of a commuted sum arising through Planning Obligations made under section 106 (as amended) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The brief includes a specific requirement to give an indication of the level of spend required for each proposal along with Empty Properties,Licensing, Delivery of New Affordable Housing Units on Identified Sites and Access to Home Ownership.   

The Worcestershire Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-25 is the result of a collaboration across the six Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) with input and support from the voluntary and community sector (VCS) and statutory partners.

Our strategic objective is to end homelessness and rough sleeping but where it does occur to ensure that it is brief, rare, and non-recurrent. This means providing a wide raft of services both directly and through commissioned partners to assist people that are rough sleeping to come off the streets, provide early intervention services to potentially homeless households, deliver new build homes, and make the best use of existing stock and to tackle landlords providing unsuitable accommodation or illegally evicting tenants.

The LHAs can tackle homelessness through direct delivery of services, collaboration with partners, and through raising awareness of homelessness and rough sleeping throughout Worcestershire to ensure everyone knows where to go to get help or help other people facing homelessness.

To inform the strategy, we have undertaken a pdf Homelessness Review (593 KB) which includes the mapping of services, data collection, service providers feedback and the feedback from People With Lived Experience (PWLE). This information has been used to inform the strategy along with outcomes from our stakeholder day and consultation responses.

This strategy will govern our approach for three years. However, it is vital that it remains responsive and will therefore be kept under constant review.

The strategy document contains a Worcestershire action plan, but Worcester City has developed its own pdf action plan (94 KB) to meet the specific needs of the city.