West Northamptonshire social lettings agency with only three homes reviewed

The Social Lettings Agency was aimed at preventing people becoming homeless, as well as bringing empty properties back into use

A scheme to bring empty homes back into use and prevent homelessness is to be reviewed after only three landlords came forward with three properties.

There is currently no-one in charge of co-ordinating West Northamptonshire Council's Social Lettings Agency and it does not have a live risk register.

Housing member at the Conservative-run council, Adam Brown, said a review of the agency would finish by the autumn.

Labour's Danielle Stone said the scheme "never really got started".

The Social Lettings Agency is a legacy project started by Northampton Borough Council prior to it becoming part of the new West Northamptonshire unitary.

The idea was launched with a fanfare by the Conservative borough council in 2016.

It promised the agency would improve the standard of private rented accommodation, bring empty homes back into use, prevent people becoming homeless and reduce the use of temporary accommodation.

Labour's Danielle Stone said the Social Lettings Agency could not be allowed to fail

The idea was the council would lease properties from private owners for up to seven years, managing them and offering lower rent.

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However, last year's annual audit report for Northampton Borough Council, discussed by councillors of the new authority's audit committee on Wednesday, showed only three properties were being used by the scheme.

This is against an original target of 250, revised down to 50.

The report said there was "currently no Empty Homes Officer in place", which "may have led to inadequate take-up".

'Badly needed'

It added the agency did not have a system in place to properly assess what risks might be associated with the scheme.

Mrs Stone, who sits on the audit committee, said the scheme was "badly needed" but landlords had not been brought in at an early enough stage.

"Our social lettings agency has never really got started and we need to know why," she said.

"This is too important to fail in the future."

Mr Brown said the council's housing team had "worked with landlords for a handful of properties" which were close to becoming agency homes.

He said following the completion of a review into the scheme, recommendations would be made on whether it "should be adopted in the future".