Have your say on draft city-wide Housing Strategy

The second phase of consultation on a new draft city-wide Housing Strategy has opened – and everyone is encouraged to have their say.

In May, Sheffield City Council announced the new draft strategy publicly, which aims to give the people of Sheffield access to a home which is safe, affordable and ready for a changing climate.

Now, the time has come for all residents to have their say. We want to hear from people who own or rent their homes, as well as people who may be struggling to find a home. We also want to hear from people who are landlords or develop properties for rent or sale.

People are encouraged to have their say on the draft strategy and make clear what they believe the key demands for housing in the city are and what our priorities should be. To take part, people can head to the Have Your Say Sheffield website. The consultation will close again on Sunday 28th July, 2024.

A consultation with residents took place earlier this year (2024) to gain initial views on the Strategy. The initial survey received over 800 responses, with respondents broadly supporting the overall vision and ambitions for the strategy. But now the Council wants to hear from even more residents.

WATCH: Cllr Tom Hunt explains why the second consultation on the draft Housing Strategy has been launched:

In May, a draft strategy was discussed by the Council’s Strategy & Resources Committee, who approved the second consultation to take place.

The strategy will see the Council work collaboratively with partners over the next 10 years to enable all of our communities to have access to homes and neighbourhoods that meet their needs.

By 2034, the new Housing Strategy aims to:

• Ensure Sheffield has enough homes to meet the aspirations of our communities and support the city to prosper
• Reduce Housing carbon emissions to net zero by 2030
• Allow residents to enjoy safe, good quality homes that are easy to keep warm or cool
• Enable our communities to live in neighbourhoods that are thriving and safe places to live, which they are happy to call home
• Provide the framework for every resident to have a home and the support they need to live a healthy life

The Strategy is for everyone who calls Sheffield home, and will shape how the Council works with local, regional and national partners to build on existing strengths of housing in the city, and to make improvements where they are needed. It will also continue the Council’s drive to eradicate homelessness in the city.

Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council and Chair of the Strategy & Resources Committee, said:

"This strategy has been developed with partners and through early engagement with residents. It is for everybody who lives in Sheffield, from the youngest to the oldest, and for those who want to make Sheffield their home in the future.

“Everyone should have a safe, secure and affordable place to call home. Good quality homes are fundamental for enabling everyone to live happy, healthy lives. The Council has set out a commitment to delivering 35,500 new homes in the Local Plan. We’re seeing new neighbourhoods being created, and we look forward to working with partners and residents to further achieve our vision and ambitions. Now is the time to share your views so that we can do that together.”

Over the last few years, the Council has seen unprecedented demand on Housing across the city. The demand for social housing has never been higher, and there is a shortage of both privately rented homes, as well as affordable homes to buy.

This strategy will look to reverse this trend and work with partners in the private, voluntary and community sectors to ensure the goals remain focussed on what the people of Sheffield need.

It is also critical to implementing our Council Plan in the Housing sector, where we have made ‘People, Prosperity and Planet’ the focal point of everything we do and want to see neighbourhoods which are clean, green and safe places to live and visit.

Following on from this second consultation phase, the final Strategy is planned to be brought before the Strategy & Resources committee meeting during the autumn for full approval and ratification.