Susan Gambles - Portfolio holder for Housing and Welfare

Main roles and responsibilities of the portfolio

To govern the implementation of the key priorities set out in our Deal 2030 - Our Place, Our People, Our Future, including the strategic objective ‘A Home for All’
To drive forward the Community Wealth Building approach including increasing the community use and control of council owned land and assets, particularly those which are under-utilised
To support the delivery of our Climate Change Strategy, including building on community pride and working together with communities to create a cleaner, greener borough
To support the implementation of the Wigan Borough Housing Strategy
To oversee the delivery of high quality, responsive social housing, and the Council’s landlord responsibilities
To chair the Housing Advisory Panel and ensuring the voices of tenants drive the Council’s strategies and delivery models
To drive our Welfare Policy
To support Councillor Development.

Delivery of priorities within the Wigan Borough Housing Strategy, including:
- Access to the right home with greater choice across different housing sectors
- Build the right homes, delivering these ourselves and working with partners
- Make more existing homes safe and of a good quality (our own and those in the private sector)
- Expand our Ethical Lettings Agency, working in partnership with small local landlords
- Ensure people have the right support to live well, including those who face homelessness
- Achieve low carbon homes to protect the environment and reduce energy bills for our residents
- Ensuring good housing and the voices of tenants drives forward the Council’s neighbourhood model, enabling our communities to thrive.
Chair the Housing Advisory Panel to provide challenge around services delivered to council tenants, ensuring Wigan Council is a good landlord providing quality services and promoting sustainable tenancies
Deliver the tenant engagement programme, to promote the tenant voice in shaping and improving housing services
Deliver Wigan’s financial inclusion and fuel poverty strategy
Lead work to understand the impact of Welfare Reform and support residents through the changes
Support residents’ funeral service aligned to welfare role.