Decent homes

Our ambition

We want everyone to have a comfortable home which meets their needs and helps them lead fulfilling lives.

We will increase the supply of homes of the right type, quality and location to meet the needs and aspirations of our diverse and growing population. We want more high quality homes in neighbourhoods where people want to live and can thrive. We want more developments of the highest quality. We will retrofit existing stock to create homes that are energy efficient and adaptable.

We will work with partner agencies and communities to improve management of our neighbourhoods. We will help ensure the district has green, safe, inclusive, and cohesive places which people are proud to call home.

We will support residents to live independently. We will make sure elderly and vulnerable people can access specialist housing that meets their needs. We will help homeless people into permanent accommodation.

Our context

Bradford District offers a range of housing choices including attractively priced terraces in close-knit city neighbourhoods, quality social housing in well-kept estates, unique Victorian squares with spacious family accommodation, city centre apartments in new-build schemes or listed buildings in architecturally renowned locations like Little Germany, and executive family homes near beautiful countryside and in some of the most prosperous towns and villages in the country.

We have a number of challenges including:

• Impact of COVID-19 on the housing market, particularly on the incentive to invest to improve the quality of housing.
• Impact of COVID-19 in delaying the delivery of capital investment schemes, on both large and small scale.
• Large number of empty homes.
• Lack of large family accommodation to meet the needs of extended families.
• Changing needs and aspirations of an ageing society.
• Financial viability of developing housing that meets the needs of specific users such as older people and people with disabilities.

Our priorities

Living with COVID-19

We will:

• Maintain social distancing and infection control measures in social housing as much as possible.
• Ensure we keep rough sleepers in accommodation where possible, helping to prevent the spread of infection.
• Work with Government, developers and partners to maximise funding opportunities and the delivery of new homes and improved homes by managing the impact of additional COVID-19 precautions.
• Work with the Government, Leeds City Region and delivery partners to make the most of energy efficiency measures in the Government’s new green voucher scheme and other programmes.

Building a Better Future

We will:

• Increase the supply of homes of the right type, quality and location to meet the needs of our population, including those with specialist needs.
• Improve the quality of poor housing stock by encouraging and supporting private sector owners and landlords to bring properties, including empty homes, into good repair.
• Support our residents who have a range of specific and specialist needs by improving access to suitable housing and help them sustain tenancies. 
• Use Council-owned land and buildings to create good quality new homes, including on brownfield sites where possible.

How we will measure success

1. Achieve at least 1,703 net new home completions per year.
2. Achieve at least 411 affordable housing units per year.
3. Increase the number of private sector homes with improved housing conditions as a result of our interventions.
4. Continue to be above regional and national average rate for homelessness preventions.

The underpinning plans and strategies that will enable us to deliver on this priority include:

• A Place to Call Home, a Place to Thrive - Housing Strategy for Bradford District 2020 – 203) (PDF)
• Bradford Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020 – 2025 (PDF)