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Our vision for homes in the district

The Housing Strategy 2019-2024 sets out the Council’s plans to deliver housing and housing related services across all tenures in the Stroud District.

The strategy can be seen as an overarching document that also aligns to the aims and objectives set out in relevant Council policies and plans that include the Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy 2013-2018 and the Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2014-2019. The strategy outlines the three key housing themes that have been identified for the District and sets out the range of housing interventions that the Council takes part in, and establishes our plans for the future, to address these priorities.

Stroud District Council Housing Strategy 2019-2024 

The Housing Strategy 2019-2024 sets the context for this strategy and provides detail on why the delivery of affordable housing remains a key priority for the Council. There is an assessed need for 446 new affordable homes every year in the district. The local housing market is becoming increasingly polarised between those who were able to buy properties at a time of better wage to house price ratios, and those households who are struggling to access suitable properties.

The Council works with a wide range of Registered Providers (housing associations) as well as rural and community housing groups in order to maximise the delivery of much needed new affordable homes. This strategy sets out how the Council will contribute towards meeting this need by continuing the delivery of its own house building programme, which to date has delivered 239 new homes.

Tenancy Strategy The Localism Act 2011 gives Registered Providers of affordable housing the ability to offer more flexible/fixed term tenancies than the secure/assured lifetime tenancies that have previously been offered. The Act also allows Registered Providers to build new homes and re-let existing homes at a higher rent than is presently charged for social rented accommodation, under a new ‘affordable rent' tenure.

Our Tenancy Strategy sets out how we would like Registered Providers of affordable housing to respond to these changes which are likely to affect new tenants. Affordable Housing providers operating in the Stroud District are expected to have regard to the principles outlined in the Tenancy Strategy when reviewing or developing Tenancy Policies that detail how they propose to develop and manage their housing stock in response to the changes introduced in the Localism Act 2011.

The Tenancy Strategy also outlines our position around the new powers for Local Authorities to use accommodation in the private rented sector to discharge homelessness duty, and to set their own rules around housing allocations and determining who should quality to join the housing register for affordable housing.

This Strategy has been developed jointly by Stroud District Council and members of the Stroud Homelessness Forum, which includes statutory and voluntary organisations, service providers and user representatives. With an emphasis on homelessness prevention and early intervention the Homelessness Prevention Strategy sets out key delivery actions around six principle outcomes.

Improving people’s lives is a core theme within the Council Plan 2021 – 2026. This aspiration is mirrored in our Independent Living Strategy which was reviewed and updated in November 2023.  Stroud District Council is committed to delivering its vision of “Providing good quality older people’s housing which meets a variety of current and future needs, where people want to live”. Our Independent Living HUBS provide vibrant, inclusive environments serving the local community as well as our tenants.