In accordance with Standing Orders, the following motions have been received for consideration:
(i) Cost of Living Crisis
To be moved by the Labour Group.
“The cost of living crisis is affecting every family across Stevenage, and many are facing dreadful decisions about what they can and cannot afford to do at the most basic levels some having to choose between heating, eating or transport to work.
The Chancellor’s Spring Statement was a lost opportunity to ensure real and substantial help to those families and once again local government is left picking up the pieces of hunger, homelessness and poverty and the effects these have on everyone suffering.
In Stevenage we have now set up a Cost of Living Task Force which will work with the Stevenage Together Partnership to identify the support needed in our community and ensure we have actions in place to address the needs identified.
In Stevenage we can and must take the following urgent actions:
· We declare this to be a Cost of Living emergency and pledge to take all the action in our powers to help our community and to mitigate its impact wherever possible.
· Work through our Cost of Living Task Force to identify actions and policies to support our community and the council through the crisis.
· Call upon our MP to lobby his Chancellor of the Exchequer to take urgent measures to support individuals, communities and families through this crisis.
· Call on Hertfordshire County Council to make permanent and enduring commitment to providing holiday food to children entitled to Free School Meals.
· Work with the retail sector in Stevenage to reduce food waste, donate surpluses to food banks and ensure that affordable food is available to all.
· Ensure that all our schools have established and responsive systems for identifying and supporting those children who are struggling through food and fuel poverty
· Call upon the government to scrap the National Insurance increase, continue to impose a windfall tax on oil and gas companies while it is necessary to remove a substantial sum from citizens energy bills and immediately restore the triple lock for pensions.
· Call upon Government to restore the additional Universal Credit payment made during the Covid crisis.
· Write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to point out the critical situation facing our community and the financial impact the cost of living crisis will have on council finances.”
(ii) Homelessness Policies
To be moved by Councillor Phil Bibby CC and seconded by Councillor Wendy Kerby.
“In April of this year, there was a concerning report in the Comet newspaper under the headline ‘Couple unable to return to rented home’, describing that the landlords rented their retirement home on a short-term basis, and hoped to move back in just before Christmas last year but, two days before the tenant was due to vacate the property, having been given proper notice, she was told by the Council’s housing department to remain in the property, against the threat of being seen as making herself intentionally homeless.
Whilst it is understood that the Council and tenants acted lawfully, and this situation has now been resolved, with the couple back in their property and the tenant re-housed, the Council’s policies and practices should protect lawful landlords, who are an important source of much needed housing, with the same vigour as tenants.
We accept that the Council will always respect tenancy and homelessness legislation and guidance, but we call on it to make timely assessments of tenants facing lawful eviction and possible homelessness, being on the guard against ‘voluntary homelessness’, and make proper provision in the HRA to have an adequate supply of suitable accommodation, in case of need.”
Decision:
1. Cost of Living Crisis
Councillor Sharon Taylor moved and Councillor Mrs Joan Lloyd seconded a motion in respect of the Cost of Living Crisis. Following debate and upon being put to the vote, it was RESOLVED that:
“The cost of living crisis is affecting every family across Stevenage, and many are facing dreadful decisions about what they can and cannot afford to do at the most basic levels some having to choose between heating, eating or transport to work.
The Chancellor’s Spring Statement was a lost opportunity to ensure real and substantial help to those families and once again local government is left picking up the pieces of hunger, homelessness and poverty and the effects these have on everyone suffering.
In Stevenage we have now set up a Cost of Living Task Force which will work with the Stevenage Together Partnership to identify the support needed in our community and ensure we have actions in place to address the needs identified.
In Stevenage we can and must take the following urgent actions:
· We declare this to be a Cost of Living emergency and pledge to take all the action in our powers to help our community and to mitigate its impact wherever possible.
· Work through our Cost of Living Task Force to identify actions and policies to support our community and the council through the crisis.
· Call upon our MP to lobby his Chancellor of the Exchequer to take urgent measures to support individuals, communities and families through this crisis.
· Call on Hertfordshire County Council to make permanent and enduring commitment to providing holiday food to children entitled to Free School Meals.
· Work with the retail sector in Stevenage to reduce food waste, donate surpluses to food banks and ensure that affordable food is available to all.
· Ensure that all our schools have established and responsive systems for identifying and supporting those children who are struggling through food and fuel poverty
· Call upon the government to scrap the National Insurance increase, continue to impose a windfall tax on oil and gas companies while it is necessary to remove a substantial sum from citizens energy bills and immediately restore the triple lock for pensions.
· Call upon Government to restore the additional Universal Credit payment made during the Covid crisis.
· Write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to point out the critical situation facing our community and the financial impact the cost of living crisis will have on council finances.
2. Homelessness Policies
Councillor Phil Bibby moved and Councillor Wendy Kerby seconded a motion with regard to Homelessness Policies:
Whilst it is understood that the Council and tenants acted lawfully, and this situation has now been resolved, with the couple back in their property and the tenant re-housed, the Council’s policies and practices should protect lawful landlords, who are an important source of much needed housing, with the same vigour as tenants.
We accept that the Council will always respect tenancy and homelessness legislation and guidance, but we call on it to make timely assessments of tenants facing lawful eviction and possible homelessness, being on the guard against ‘voluntary homelessness’, and make proper provision in the HRA to have an adequate supply of suitable accommodation, in case of need.”
Following debate and upon being put to the vote, it was RESOLVED that the Motion be lost.