Cabinet:
1. Approved the Housing Revenue Account Budget as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.
2. Agreed that the average rents chargeable for tenants in general needs Council properties owned by the London Borough of Havering be decreased by 1% from the w/c 4 April 2016 in line with the indicative figures contained in paragraph 2.1.6 of the report.
3. Agreed that the average rents chargeable for tenants in supported housing Council properties, such as sheltered housing and hostels, owned by the London Borough of Havering, be increased by 0.9% from the w/c 4 April 2016 in line with the indicative figures contained in paragraph 2.1.6 and 2.1.7 of the report.
4. Delegated agreement of the exact amounts chargeable to the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Deputy Chief Executive - Communities and Resources, following publication by Government of the rent calculation formula.
5. Confirmed the four rent-free weeks for 2016/17 as being: w/c 22 August 2016, the two weeks commencing 19 and 26 December 2016, and the week commencing 27 March 2017.
6. Confirmed that service charges and heating and hot water charges for 2016/17 would remain the same as in 2015/16 as detailed in paragraph 2.2.2 of the report.
7. Confirmed that the service charge for homeless households accommodated in the Council’s hostels should remain unchanged for 2016/17 as detailed in paragraph 2.2.3 of the report.
8. Confirmed that charges for garages should remain unchanged for 2016/17 as detailed in paragraph 2.3.1 of the report.
9. Confirmed that the service charge for the provision of security and support in sheltered housing (first introduced in 2015/16) should remain unchanged for 2016/17 as detailed in paragraph 2.4.1 of the report.
10. Confirmed that the Careline support charge would remain unchanged for 2016/17 as detailed in paragraph 2.5.1 of the report.
11. Confirmed that the Telecare support charges should remain unchanged for 2016/17 as detailed in paragraph 2.5.1 of the report.
12 Confirmed that the £0.5m identified in the budget for 2015/16to fund the replacement of the Housing Management system would be carried forward to 2016/17.
13 Agreed the HRA Major Works Capital Programme, detailed in Appendix 2 of this report and referred it to full Council for final ratification.
14 Delegated authority to agree individual environmental improvement works in the Capital Programme to the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Deputy Chief Executive of Communities and Resources following recommendation from the Head of Housing Services and the identification of appropriate funding.
15 Agreed that a further report should be presented to Cabinet in September 2016 with an amended HRA Business Plan.