The need for a safe, warm and affordable home is central to all of our lives, which is why we are asking people to share their views and help to shape the future of housing in Herefordshire.

The council is involved in housing in a number of ways, including:

• Assessing local housing needs and understanding the local housing market.
• Developing effective partnerships to increase the supply of affordable housing.
• Working towards the prevention and relief of homelessness.
• Improving conditions in the private sector.
• Enabling people to live independently in their own homes.
• Ensuring safe and controlled development of new homes through the Core Strategy.

All of these strands are brought together in the Local Housing Strategy, a key document that the council is developing that will allow us to plan strategically for meeting current and future need and demand, and the effective delivery of housing-related services.

The Local Housing Strategy is based on up to date information about the overall housing market in Herefordshire, and now we are looking for people’s individual experiences and the wider communities’ views to help shape the Strategy.

Hayley Crane, Strategic Housing Manager, said: “The views and experiences of local people are vital in helping us to shape the Local Housing Strategy, so we would encourage everybody to take part in the consultation and have their say. All responses will be considered and the feedback will be used to prioritise the objectives within the Strategy.

“As well as the public, we will be consulting with our delivery partners including registered housing providers, private landlords and the service providers that support our residents.”

The consultation is now live and closes on Friday 11 June. The draft housing strategy will then be updated and presented to Cabinet.

The consultation is available as a clear, concise and accessible online survey via the Herefordshire Council website.

In order to make the survey as accessible as possible we can also offer the survey in large print and easy read versions, as well as offering help to people to complete it over the phone.  Interpreting support will be offered where appropriate.

For further information, to request the survey in an alternative format, or for help to complete the survey, please contact the Strategic Housing Team on 01432 383531 or email hannah.mcsherry2@herefordshire.gov.uk