Investing in housing and local communities
Cardiff Council's business plan for delivering housing services over the next year has been approved by Cabinet today.
The Council's annual Housing Revenue Account business plan for 2018/19 sets out the authority's purpose and vision as a social housing landlord as well as objectives and standards for the service and how it plans to achieve those aims.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "The Housing Revenue Account business plan sets out some of the major achievements of the service over the past year and how we intend to build on those successes over the next 12 months.
"We continue to be ambitious in our plans for building new council properties to meet increasing pressures for good quality, affordable homes for those who need them most in the city.
"The regeneration of Maelfa high-rise flats will be the service's biggest single capital investment in 2018/19 and I'm very pleased to say that we'll also be investing in sprinkler systems and 60 minute fire doors for all high rise blocks in Cardiff, in the light of tragic events at Grenfell last year.
"Supporting vulnerable people is a priority for us and we will continue to invest in provision and support for older people to be able to live independently for as long as possible as well as help for people affected by Welfare Reform and the roll-out of Universal Credit."
Cardiff's business plan includes the aim of completing 1,000 much-needed new council homes in the city by 2022 and the recently announced plan to extend that target to 2,000 homes in a second phase of the programme.
The business plan also sets out how the Council is intending to remodel and refurbish existing homes in the city following a review of the suitability of its sheltered accommodation. The refurbishment of Sandown Court, under the Community Living Scheme brand, was completed last year and similar works are now programmed for other sheltered blocks around the city.
Major estate regeneration is underway at a number of locations while capital improvement works include upgrading heating systems in sheltered accommodation and high rise blocks, continued installation of new fire doors and lift upgrades in four high rise blocks.
Providing advice and information to tenants is another key focus of the business plan, ensuring services delivered through the community hubs network across the city are responsive to the needs and priorities of individual neighbourhoods, with housing services being a key component.
The Council delivered a new hub for Llanedeyrn at the Powerhouse and the new Llanishen Hub in 2017 and plans to build further on the success of the hubs programme with the extension of St Mellons Hub.