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Medway Council's Housing Strategy 2008-2011 was approved, with some amendments, by its Cabinet on 5 August 2008. It sets out an overall vision to:
- maximise the supply of suitable and affordable housing and meet housing need;
- enable vulnerable people to live independent lives;
- improve the quality and energy efficiency of housing;
- develop sustainable communities and promote neighbourhood renewal;
- promote better and fair access to housing services.
The work to produce the new strategy included two consultation events. The first of these took place in June 2007 and involved consulting key stakeholders on the development of eight sub-strategies:
- affordable housing;
- empty properties;
- private sector;
- fuel poverty;
- young people;
- older people;
- disabilities;
- black and ethnic minority groups.
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The Portfolio Holder for Housing, who was then Councillor Tom Mason, introduced the event and the Assistant Director for Regeneration and Development, Stephen Gaimster, provided an up-to-date summary of the housing market in Medway.
The council invited external key stakeholders with specialist knowledge to facilitate the workshop groups in identifying the main issues in each priority area, solutions to resolve these issues and any potential barriers to resolution.
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There was a good attendance and 98 per cent of delegates rated the event as good or excellent. The results and feedback from the event helped the council shape the plans and strategies that were developed and consulted on further over the following months. After the June event, there was a more informal open day in August 2007 for council staff to give their views on issues such as affordable housing, fuel poverty and empty properties. They made further valuable comments that were useful in the development of the eight sub-strategies.
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