Issue - meetings

B Report of Director of Housing (Copy herewith)

Cabinet approved the implementation of the BME Housing Strategy 2010-2013 as a replacement for the previous strategy from 2007. 

Councillor Clarke addressed the committee and welcomed the report. He commented that the needs of the BME community was so varied that a single report was not sufficient: the needs of some ethnic minorities differed greatly from others. He welcomed the approach of looking at Sharia Law and the ability of Muslims to exercise their ‘Right to Buy’ and the dialogue with the Islamic Bank. He disputed some of the figures set out in diagram on page 16 of the report and commented that there was a need to look at the vulnerability of elements of the BME community rather than simply ethnicity.

Councillor Beardsworth as the relevant Portfolio Holder submitted a report that sought to approval of the implementation for the BME Housing Strategy 2010-2013 as a replacement for the previous strategy from 2007. She explained that this report followed on from that submitted to Cabinet in July and was about how the Council delivered its housing services to a diverse range of communities. The consultation had attracted many responses. Six objectives had been identified. She noted that the tabulation referred to by Councillor Clarke was based upon 2001 Census figures.

In answer to a question from Councillor P. D Varnsverry, the Director of Housing stated that the 210 residents interviewed were in addition  to the 322 that had returned questionnaires. Further information had been forthcoming from community events. The replies to the consultation and the responses to them would be placed on the web site.

The Chair noted that the graph on page 16 of the Strategy showed the change in the BME population since 2001.  

RESOLVED:             That the implementation of the BME Housing Strategy 2010-2013 as a replacement for the previous strategy from 2007 be approved.