Colchester’s Housing Strategy 2022-27

Name of policies to be assessed

Colchester’s Housing Strategy 2022-27 

1. What is the main purpose of the policies?

The main purpose of the policies is to:

• To set out the Council’s and its partner organisations priorities for housing over the next 5 years

2. What main areas or activities does the policies cover?

• Supply – ‘We will increase the supply of quality affordable homes’
• Sustainability and Community – ‘We will support people to maintain their homes and build sustainable communities’
• Structure – ‘We will reduce carbon emissions from homes and improve standards’
• Prevent Homelessness – ‘We will prevent homelessness by working with partners to deliver Colchester’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020-25’
• (A separate document that sits under the Housing Strategy and has a separate EQIA)

3. Are there changes to an existing policy being considered in this assessment?

This Strategy replaces the previous Housing Strategy 2015-2020. The new Strategy takes into consideration new government legislation to ensure that it aligns with the priority housing issues identified nationally especially around:

• Initiatives for increasing housing supply and homeownership
• Reforming the welfare system
• Quality of housing in both the social and private sector
• Levelling Up

4. Who are the main audience, users or customers who will be affected by the policy?

Residents, Partner Organisations

5. What outcomes does the Council want to achieve from the policy?

Increasing the supply of quality affordable housing, supporting people to maintain their homes and creating communities that are sustainable, reducing carbon emissions from homes and improving standards, preventing homelessness by delivering Colchester’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020-25 which is embedded in this strategy.

6. Are other service areas or partner agencies involved in delivery?

• Colchester City Council service areas include – Strategic Housing, Housing Client, Private Sector Housing and Planning Policy  
• Colchester Borough Homes – Housing Options and Housing Management 
• Amphora Homes 
• Housing Developer 
• Housing Association partners 
• Supported Housing Provider 
• Essex County Council 
• North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group 

7. Relevant information, data, surveys or consultations

We have collaborated extensively to produce this strategy and to ensure it is based on firm evidence.

We have updated and considered an in-depth evidence base to understand the details of housing need.

We have held a Consultation workshop with representatives from local housing organisations to help shape the new Housing Strategy by identifying the current challenges for housing in Colchester for both organisations and residents and how these can be addressed.

8. The ‘general duty’

The ‘general duty’ states that we must have “due regard” to the need to:

1. eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
2. advance equality of opportunity between people who share a ‘protected characteristic’ and those who do not
3. foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

Not all policies help us to meet the ‘general duty’, but most do.

· The Council administers the Policy fairly and transparently which helps to prevent discrimination against any groups

The policy helps us to ‘eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation’ in the following way(s):

• The Council administers the Policy fairly and transparently which helps to prevent discrimination against any groups

The policy helps us to ‘advance equality of opportunity…’ in the following way(s):

• The Council administers the Policy fairly and transparently which helps to prevent discrimination against any groups

The policy helps us to ‘foster good relations…’ in the following way(s):

· The Council administers the Policy fairly and transparently which helps to prevent discrimination against any groups

9. Disproportionate impacts

This section helps us to identify any disproportionate impacts. We will indicate whether the policy is likely to particularly benefit or disadvantage any of the 'protected characteristics'.

The following applies to all protected characteristic groups:

Age - older people (60+) and younger people (17-25)

Positive impact

The principal purpose of the licensing regime is to protect the public therefore all groups will benefit

Age - those who are typically in the age group 45-55

Positive impact

The strategy seeks to provide housing solutions for this group

Disability – physical, sensory, learning, mental health issues, other

Positive impact

The strategy aims to ensure that housing and related services meet a range of specialist needs

Ethnicity - White; Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups; Asian or Asian British; Black, Black British, Caribbean or African; Other ethnic group

Positive impact

n/a

Language – English not as a first language

Positive impact

n/a

Pregnancy and maternity - Women who are pregnant or have given birth in the last 26 weeks

Positive impact

n/a

Religion or belief - People with a religious belief (or none)

Positive impact

n/a

Sex – Men and Women

Positive impact – Men

n/a

Positive impact – Women

n/a

Gender reassignment - Transgender/Transsexual

Positive impact

n/a

Sexual Orientation – Straight/Heterosexual, Gay or Lesbian, Bisexual, Other sexual orientation

Positive impact

n/a

Marriage and Civil Partnership - People who are married or in a civil partnership

Positive impact

n/a 

10. How negative impacts be minimised or removed?

No areas of potential negative impact have been identified.

11. Could the policy discriminate⁵ against any ‘protected characteristic’ either directly or indirectly?

No

Summary and findings of Initial Equality Impact Assessment

12. Confirmation of findings

There are four options to describe the finding of the EqIA:

1. No negative impacts have been identified – Action is to sign off screening and finish.
2. Negative impacts have been identified but have been minimised or removed  - Action is to sign off screening and finish.
3. Negative impacts could not be minimised or removed – Action is to sign off screening and complete a full impact assessment – Section 2.
4. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement - Action is to sign off screening and complete a full impact assessment – Section 2.

The findings and action are confirmed as (A). No negative impacts have been identified – Action is to sign off screening and finish

13. Name and job title of person completing this form

Karen Paton – Housing Strategy Officer

14. Date of completion

14 June 2022

15. Date for update or review of this screening

14 June 2022

• [1] National Census 2021 ethnicity categories are: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British; Irish; Gypsy or Irish Traveller; Roma; Any other White background (White); White and Black Caribbean; White and Black African; White and Asian; Any other Mixed or Multiple backgrounds (Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups); Indian; Pakistani; Bangladeshi; Chinese; Any Other Asian background (Asian or Asian British); Caribbean; African; Any other Black, Black British or Caribbean, Any other Black, Black British or Caribbean background (Black, Black British, Caribbean or African); Arab, Any other ethnic group (Other ethnic group).
• [2] The Equality Act’s `protected characteristics’ include age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sex and sexual orientation. It also covers marriage and civil partnerships, but not for all aspects of the duty. 
• [3] This involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to (a) remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a protected characteristic that are connected to that characteristic; (b) take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that is different from the needs of persons who do not share it, and (c) encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any other activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.
• [4] This involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to (a) tackle prejudice, and (b) promote understanding.
• [5] The Council has a general duty to ‘eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation’. Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably than another in a comparable situation because of their `protected characteristic’ whether on grounds of age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, ethnicity; religion or belief; sex (gender), sexual orientation, or marriage and civil partnership. Indirect discrimination occurs when an apparently neutral provision or practise would nevertheless disadvantage people on the grounds of their `protected characteristic’.