7. Housing services

7.1

The provision of housing advice on housing related issues and homeless applications

6 years automatic deletion after closure

· Advice notes/options appraisal

· Advice and prevention records

· Enhanced Housing Options records

· Homelessness records

We are working with a software company to reduce this to 3 years

Common Practice

7.2

The administration of the process for registering households on the housing register

6 years automatic deletion after closure, including unsuccessful applications

· Housing/Home Choice Plus Applications, reviews and other supporting information

· Medical questionnaires

· Priority Award applications

· Homeless applications including appeal records

· Nomination records

· Homeless prevention records

· Rent Deposit/Bond Guarantee Scheme approvals

We are working with a software company to reduce this to 3 years

Common Practice

7.3

The administration of the process for awarding Disabled Facilities and Discretionary Housing Assistance Grants

6 years + 1 year for audit – after closure, in line with Council’s financial regulations

· Discretionary Housing Assistance Grant applications

· Disabled Facilities Grant applications

· Requests for review and other supporting information

We would store information for longer where there is a repayment obligation attached and is recorded on Land Registry

Common Practice

7.4

The administration of the process of contracts and tendering e.g. Home Improvement Agency and Housing Needs/Homelessness contracts

6 years + 1 year for audit – after closure, in line with Council’s financial regulations

· Expressions of interest

· Stages of the tender process including financial information

· Contractual arrangements

· Monitoring performance and contract compliance

Common Practice

7.5

The administration of the process for enforcing property standards within the district.

6 years after closure, including unsuccessful applications

6 years + 1 year for audit – after closure, in line with Council’s financial regulations where applicable

• Empty Home Records
• Houses in Multiple Occupation Records
• Property Standard complaints
• Caravan licensing

Common Practice

7.6

The administration of the process associated with bringing forward additional affordable housing schemes within the district

6 years – after closure

This will be longer where we have paid the RP a grant – usually with a 30 year repayment term attached

• Housing Needs Surveys/Assessments
• Housing needs assessment requests and responses
• Scheme progress files
• Copies of S106 agreements

This might be longer if there is a S.06 Agreement that lasts 10 years of grant funding agreement

7.7

The monitoring of performance information

6 years after record made

• Bed and breakfast placements
• Affordable Housing Programme
• Service Delivery Plan
• Strategic objectives and actions

Common Practice

7.8

The process of passing information on to Central Government and the Region

6 years after record made

• P1E returns
• LAHS return
• Bi-annual traveller count and GTCC return
• Monitoring of the Worcestershire Housing Partnership Plan and Worcestershire Homelessness Strategy
• Objectives

• trategies/plans

Common Practice

7.9

The process of strategic planning

6 years after record made

• Service Delivery Plan
• Strategic plans e.g. Housing Strategy, Homelessness Strategy, Tenancy Strategy, HECA Plan etc.
• Service Level Agreements

Common Practice

7.10

The process of public consultation in the development of policies and plans

1 year after closure (minor policies)

5 years after closure (major policies/plans)

• Housing Strategy
• Homelessness Strategy
• Other housing related strategies
• Benchmarking
• Surveys

Common Practice

7.11

The process of any court proceedings

6 years after record made

· Any housing related court action where the council is directly involved.

Common Practice

7.12

The process of licensing Caravan Sites

Indefinitely

· Holiday Parks

· Residential Parks

Common Practice – Licences last the lifetime of the park

7.13

The process of licensing HMOs

7 Years (licences are renewed every 5 years)

Indefinitely

5 Years

· Licences

· Floor plans, Fire/smoke alarm systems

· Fit and Proper Person test

Common Practice

Common Practice

Common Practice