Supply, choice & quality of housing
A new housing and homelessness strategy
In March 2019, the City Council launched its Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2019-2024. The Strategy is committed to creating not only a sustainable future for the city through delivering 42,000 new homes by 2031 but also focusing on the here and now by preventing and tackling homelessness head on. We want a Coventry where everyone has a place to call home.
The Housing and Homelessness Strategy sets out the council’s broad ambitions, focussing on the four key areas of preventing homelessness & supporting homeless households; support for people and communities; improving the use of existing homes; housing development.
Increase in the number of higher banded properties as a percentage of all properties.
The overall number of properties increased by 3,330 from 143,552 in March 2019 to 146,882 in March 2020. Amongst properties in the higher Council tax bands of C to H, the number of properties increased by 1,132 from 42,259 to 43,391 in the same period. As a result, there has been a slight increase in the percentage of higher banded properties relative to the overall tax base, now at 29.54%.
Modular homes
July 2019 two modular homes have been installed in Coventry as part of a WM Housing Group modular housing pilot. The homes have been built in partnership with Totally Modular and Coventry City Council. When they were transported to the site at Littlethorpe, Willenhall there were already kitchens and bathrooms installed in the buildings.
Building new homes and neighbourhoods
Major regeneration plan for Wyken
A major £7million regeneration project announced July 2019 will see an area of Coventry transformed. The regeneration of an area of Wyken will be the first major project by Citizen, the new name for housing association WM Housing Group and Whitefriars Housing. The project due to be completed in 2024, plans that 93 new homes will be built, and 112 flats refurbished.
Council tax
Over 95% of Council tax is collected in year There has been a decline in the overall percentage of council tax collected in year which is reflective of a wider national trend over the past 24 months. In 2019/20 95.5% of council tax was collected compared to 95.7% in 2018/19. It is too early to conclude as to the extent to which collection rates have or will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tax base is still buoyant with increases in the number of properties and the amount of council tax available to collect.
