Rent Setting and Service Charge Policy Equality Impact Assessment

Initial Equality Impact Assessment

At Colchester City Council we have a corporate approach to equality and diversity that reinforces the importance of providing equal opportunities to potential and existing employees. Through the employment of committed and motivated people, we can deliver excellent customer services and improve the reputation of the Council as an employer of choice.

Name of policies to be assessed

This Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) reviews the annual rent setting and service charge setting.

In this assessment, ‘Policy’ is meant broadly to mean policy, strategy, service, function, activity or decision. Employees can access the A-Z of HR Policies on the Council’s intranet.

1. What is the main purpose of the policy?

The policy ensures that:

rents and charges remain affordable in the long-term
social tenants are protected from excessive increases in rents
rents take account of local conditions
long-term certainty and stability are provided to social tenants, social landlords and their funders
cost recovery and future investment in housing stock is enabled

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

Rent charges – according to current legislation and government policy
Housing related support charges
Rental based Utility charges
Service Charges
General need properties rent charges

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

Inclusion of rent charges not governed by the MHCLG Policy statement on rents for social housing.

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

Tenants and Leaseholders.

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

Ensuring rent and service charges are set in a consistent manner and cover the cost of management and service delivery, whilst also taking into account the future investment needs, is an essential element of the Housing Investment Programme.
The housing stock represents Colchester’s highest value asset and its repair and maintenance its largest liability. The property owned is worth many millions of pounds, either as capital assets or as revenue generating assets therefore planning for its sustainable future is important.

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

Colchester Borough Homes.

7. The ‘general duty’

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

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

8. The Health and Social Care Act 2012

The Council has an important role in improving residents’ health under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. This relates to both its ‘core functions’ (such as housing, leisure, green spaces and environmental health) and to its ‘enabling roles’ (such as economic development, planning and engaging with communities).

The Council recognises that its Public Sector Equality Duty and its role in improving health are interrelated and mutually supportive. This is especially true across the ‘protected characteristics’ of age and disability.

“Health inequalities are the unjust and avoidable differences in people's health across the population. They come from the unequal distribution of income, wealth and power and influence the wider determinants of health such as work, education, social support and housing. Currently, in England people living in the least deprived areas will live around 20 years longer in good health than those in the most deprived areas. Reducing health inequalities means giving everyone the same opportunities to lead a healthy life, no matter where they live or who they are."

this policy helps us to improve health/ reduce health inequalities for residents:

By ensuring rents are set according to legislation and government policy to enable the council to provide well managed and maintained social housing for its tenants and leaseholders which in turn helps the council to improve and reduce health inequalities for tenants and leaseholders.

9. Disproportionate impacts

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

We set out the potential benefits or disadvantages for particular protected characteristics.

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

Positive impact

All ages will benefit from ongoing improvements to housing stock, providing housing that meets their needs.

Negative impact

It may disadvantage those on a low income.