Housing Course-Work Referral
Introduction
This paper presents a report to the Councils cabinet in respect to identification of interventions, design as well as the available methodologies applicable for the elimination, controlling or mitigation to the improvement of students living conditions in the HMO residential. The number of the students who share the house holds has become a point of concern as it had been noted by the local people living around the residents. Other points of concerns that had been critically pointed out were the noise from the residents, antisocial behaviour, preponderance of the unpleasant to let posters, an increase of crime incidences, service delivery problems as well as overgrown gardens.
Decent Homes Standard: Most of the houses where the students live did not meet up to the decent home standards that were set up by the government in the Decent Home standards legislation that were implemented by the government in the year 2000, because the houses did not meet the latest statutory least standard set up for the housings. Most of the houses were not fitted with the least acceptable range of recent facilities as the houses are more than 30 years old. The houses lack sufficient working space as well as layout. The houses lack appropriate exterior noise insulation and as a result the blocks are very noisy. The houses are also noted not to provide proper insulation while none of the houses had been recorded to have the recent green standards put up for thermal insulation (Garmendia, Coronado, & Ureña, 2012, 89).
Overgrown gardens: The health and environmental department should be responsible for maintenance of the street and the overgrown garden cleaning. The residential units lived by the students were noted to have overgrown gardens environs. This did not create an attractive scenario of the region while increasing predisposition to health issues (Smith, 2008, 2472).
Noise: The residential units housing the students are situated just above a bar that is below the flat. Too much noise has been noted to come from the bar. Loud music from the place is a major hindrance to the students since it is not a conducive environment for their studies. In addition, the student residences are not sufficiently insulated from external noise which is a source of great disturbance (Garner & Frith, 2010, 1123).
Anti-social behaviour: The area due to a high concentration of HMOs, has high levels of antisocial behaviour. Actions such as drinking on the streets, damage of property, noisy house parties and increase in the levels of crime cause disturbances to the locals around the students’ houses as well as among the students themselves (Border, 2003, 67).
Recommended solutions
Accommodation audit policies to manage the decent home standards
Under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) systems, there should be a reliable assessment conducted on the capability as well as the competence of the district councils with regard to their housing standards so that the houses can meet the Decent Homes standards that were set up in 2010 (Garner & Frith, 2010, 1114). The local authorities have the powers to initiate actions that deal with the urgencies that need to be addresses with regard to decent housing standards. With the guidance of the Housing Act 2004, it is the statutory roles of the local authorities to take the necessary measures like not issuing licences to indecent houses that do not meet the laid down standards. It is important to note that licencing of the HMOs is solely the mandate of the local authority (Garner & Frith, 2010, 954).
Mandatory HMO licencing and additional licencing polices: Properties do not meet the required standards should not be licenced. On the other hand, whenever a licence has been awarded with regard to some conditions, it should be an offence if the conditions are not met with a scheduled period of time, and such an offence should attract a fine as per the HMOs establishment policies. One of the most important house fitness standards is that all the houses should be free from serious disrepair. It is also important to make sure that the houses are structurally stable, with sufficient availability of water and lighting, the heating and ventilation systems should all be in operation. The houses should have an efficiently system of drainage of foul, waste products as well as surface water as stipulate by the standard housing regulations. The kitchens should be well fitted with cold and hot water together with sufficient availability of preparation and cooking facilities. The houses that will be found not to meet the policies should have their licences revoked. It is worthy to note that some of the HMOs in the region do not fall under any licensing schemes; in addition, there exist no extra licensing requirements to take care of these houses. It is then advisable for the local authorities to assess these houses and determine their current standard conditions. The local authority should develop guiding factors that will enable this houses be up to the decent housing standards. Such houses are like the two storey HMOs, with a maximum of five occupants or less. Other house that fall under this category is the houses that were changed into self-contained rooms before the amendments of the Building regulations Standard legislations in the year 1991. Additional licencing will be important in the utilisation of all the licencing activities as there will be no advantage taken by the home owners in terms of licencing. (Garner & Frith, 2010, 1120).
Restoration of balance: as it has been witnessed in various places, development of mixed communities has been observed to have a difference in the improvement of the quality of houses, delivery of services as well as other essential services. Studentification makes the neighbourhood really hard to gain a balanced form. In the course of action, de-studentification would provide an opportunity for the area to gain balance once again. The other significant role of the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) is to encourage the community to invest in mixed type of housing in the region (Garner & Frith, 2010, 1114). Developing mixed houses is significant in the dilution of impacts of the HMOs. Mixing the housing unit types is also significant in the achievement of a safe, sufficient as well as a properly balanced community (Border, 2003, 45). It is also necessary for the local authorities to plan the development scape for the region by balancing the HMO with the other forms of housing forms. There should be a maximum number of the HMOs that can be placed up in the region so as to allow establishment of other hosing types in the attempt to create balance in the region. This can be managed by limiting the number of HMO licences that are issued out to the tenants to a specific number. A balanced society will also be able to manage the incidences of antisocial behaviours that might rise due to restricted living of the students in the same locality (Garmendia, Coronado, & Ureña, 2012).
Management of noise: This is the mandate of the Health and Environmental Service Department, which deals with the pollution control to manage the implementation of breaches relating to the unwanted level of noise. In addition, alcohol licencing policies that requires the establishment of a reasonable well run set ups, which are operating conscientiously and not undermine the eminence of the livelihoods in the surrounding environment. The bar that is in operation should have the licences revoked due to the disturbance that is caused by the business establishment (Garmendia, Coronado, & Ureña, 2012).
Management of the antisocial behaviours: The police will be responsible for dealing with those who have been identified with antisocial behaviours. It is necessary to have the number of police personnel deployed in the area increased to help in the management of the anti-social behaviours. This is necessary for the enhancement of the community security detail. (Garmendia, Coronado, & Ureña, 2012).
Frequent supervision to manage the standard of the houses. The HMOs that will be in existence will need to be frequently supervised for compliance and maintenance of standards.. All the parties concerned and involved should take the initiative of improving the environment in which the residential homes are situated and concentrated (Garmendia, Coronado, & Ureña, 2012). The houses that shall be found to be in need of repairs, while not being able to have the houses repaired within stipulated time frames should have their licences revoked till they are able to return their houses to the required standard (Garner & Frith, 2010, 1114).
Planning of residential areas: A local regional development system is a significant player in the planning of the residential areas. Initiating an effective regional development strategy could play a significant role in the management of the HMOs. The subject plans of the HMOs should all be in compliance with the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) that have set aside to govern the region. The mission of the RDS is to promote as well as encourage sustainable models of development while taking into account the necessity of the creation of a productive metropolitan region with a focus on the revitalising the region (Garner & Frith, 2010, 1114).
Initiation of purpose building developments: The initiations of purpose built houses are some of the solutions that have worked efficiently for some councils. The development of the purpose built houses takes off the pressure of converting the family built homes to HMOs. The planning policies that need to be set up should responsible for the regulatory values for the housing in regard to the strategic planning guidelines that shall be contained in the RDS. Some of the objectives that should be contained in the policy guidelines should be like the control of the housing developments in regard to housing needs (Garmendia, Coronado, & Ureña, 2012, 89).
Adaptation of an effective co-ordination: To achieve effective results, all the involved stakeholders need to work in unison. Every involved stakeholder will develop their own mechanism of action. The different action plans will be effective with proper co-ordination of the involved stakeholders. Some organised forum need to be developed for the stakeholders which is necessary for an active engagement (Mitchell, & Knudsen, 1973). An effective coordination in all the involved stakeholders will enable licencing of worthy houses that are in accordance with the decent home standards while acting as a preventive measure to all the stipulated problems that might be associated with the HMO and studentification in the area (Garner & Frith, 2010, 1134).
Management of overgrown gardens: The future living conditions should be shaped appropriately, the health and environment service department of the local authorities should take a stern responsibility of managing the residential area and the streets cleanliness as well as the public health menace that are associated with the unlawful dumping of waste products, cluttering, pest management and waste collection. It is the mandatory role of the department to ensure that all the housing units have effective disposal of their waste products to avoid littering of the environment (Smith, 2008, 2547).
Conclusion
Properties which have been noted not being able to meet the required standards, while portraying the prospects of no improvements being made within the scheduled time, or if the property is found to have the residents life at risk, should not be licenced. On the other hand, whenever licence has been awarded with regard to some conditions, it should be an offence if the conditions are not met with a scheduled period of time, and such an offence should attract a fine as per the HMOs establishment policies. By adopting the proposed recommendations the restoration of general standards may be achieved. The land lords as well as the mangers should also make sure that the HMOs meet the standards of the Licencing and Management of the HMO and other houses Regulations 2006, which contains the minimum required standards that should fit every local authority in respect to the washing and toilet provisions, kitchen provisions, heating as well as fire regulations (Garner & Frith, 2010, 1114).
References
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Hodgkinson, L. (2008). The complete guide to letting property including information on buy-to-let, HIPs, and tenancy deposit schemes. London, Kogan Page.
Garner, S., & Frith, A. (2010). A practical approach to landlord and tenant. Oxford [England], Oxford University Press.
Hubbard, P. (2008). Regulating the social impacts of studentification: a Loughborough case study. Environment and Planning A, 40(2), 323.
Smith, D. (2008). The politics of studentification and (un) balanced’urban populations: lessons for gentrification and sustainable communities? Urban Studies, 45(12), 2541-2564.
Mitchell, T, R, & Knudsen, B. W, 1973, Instrumentality theory predictions of students’ attitudes towards business and their choice of business as an occupation” Academy of Management Journal, 16(1), 41-52.
Garmendia, M., Coronado, J. M., & Ureña, J. M, 2012, “University students sharing flats: when studentification becomes vertical Urban Studies”, 49(12), 2651-2668.
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