Low take up of West Devon tenants’ incentive scheme

Some households can get additional help

Only five households have taken part in a scheme to downsize in West Devon in the last year.

The borough council now plans to make more social housing tenants aware of incentives to move to smaller homes and get a payout of £5,000 and help with  removal costs or items such as new carpets.

Their larger homes are then offered to other families.

The scheme was introduced more than 20 years ago because of a shortage in large family accommodation.

West Devon Borough Council leader Cllr Mandy Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West) said it had worked well in Devon as a whole, but not so well in West Devon, even though there is a targeted mail drop every year.

Principal housing ‘enabler’ Stephanie Rixon said no pressure is put on people to move if it made them unhappy, but they want to removed barriers stopping people who want to move.

She told a council ‘hub committee’ meeting that it understood people had a lifetime of memories in their homes, so is keeping the tenants’ incentive scheme “high profile, but not high pressure”.

She said tenants were encouraged to move into properties that are at least one bedroom smaller or more appropriate for their circumstances.

As well as information from the council, registered housing providers also spread the word.

Limited social housing and the rising cost of private rental property means many families struggle to find homes.

Cllr Ewings said it is a good time to flag up the scheme when new housing developments are built,

The council recently agreed an housing action plan. Current projects include three new flats on Plymouth Road for temporary accommodation for homeless households, the purchase of eight homes through the government’s Local Authority Housing Fund with plans for a further three, 16 energy efficient homes in Lifton, including 10 for social rent and six for shared ownership, and an expansion of Pilchards Field, Crapstone for five assisted supported living homes.

Support is being offered to groups wanting to set up ‘community land trusts’ for housing projects and cash from a tax on second homes being set aside to improve housing.