7. Housing services

7.1

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

Records are anonymised after 84 months following case closure. Files are deleted after 36 months of case closure.

· Advice notes/options appraisal

· Advice and prevention records

· Enhanced Housing Options records

· Homelessness records and files for the purpose of assessing homeless applications

Common Practice

7.2

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

Records are anonymised after 84 months following case closure. Files are deleted after 36 months of case 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

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