Agenda item

Councillor Diarmaid Ward, Executive Member for Housing and Development, made a presentation to the Committee on the performance of Housing Services; and introduced the performance report for Quarter 3 2016/17.

The following main points were noted in the discussion:

·         Repairs satisfaction was 89%, which was considered good. It was also noted that the First Time Fix rate was 85%. It was thought that further improvements in performance would result from the introduction of the new repairs ICT system.

·         It was commented that the council’s joinery workshop had a particular specialism in sash windows. The Executive Member hoped that in future the council would be able to trade its repairs services commercially to generate income.

·         It was reported that many operatives were enthusiastic about multiskilling as they considered that this would be beneficial to their careers.

·         Communications around damp and mould had been reviewed and were now written in a more helpful tone. 

·         The Committee discussed the online repairs reporting system. It was acknowledged that some residents did not have ICT skills and it was suggested that these people could be assisted by providing training to resident associations and community groups on how to report repairs online. It was also suggested that awareness of the system could be raised through digital notice boards.

·         It was suggested that allowing residents to pick an appointment time and date would be a positive further development to the online repairs reporting system.

·         It was explained that online repairs reporting was only applicable to directly managed properties, however it was hoped that Partners and other housing providers would introduce similar reporting mechanisms.

·         The Committee commented on the need to rigorously scrutinise Partners’ performance.

·         Whilst the reduction in the use of temporary accommodation was welcomed, it was noted that the Homelessness Reduction Bill would likely increase the duties of local authorities without providing adequate additional resources.

·         The Executive Member set out the factors which were taken into account when determining a homeless application. It was noted that domestic violence was a factor in around a third of homelessness cases. The most prevalent cause of homelessness was the end of a tenancy.

·         There were 20,000 applications on the housing register and the number of severely overcrowded households had increased by 100 over the past year. Concern was expressed that the sale of higher value council housing to be implemented through the Housing and Planning Act would further reduce the council’s ability to house vulnerable people.

·         In response to a question, it was confirmed that the council provided advice to housing applicants who were unlikely to be accepted for council housing. It was also noted that the housing register was regularly reviewed to remove applicants who were no longer actively seeking council accommodation in the borough.

·         The average points needed to successfully bid for a studio flat had slightly decreased over the past year. This was because there was less demand for studio flats in comparison to one-bedroom properties, and most applicants qualified for a one-bedroom property.

·         The Committee expressed concern at housing associations selling their properties in the borough and queried if the council challenged housing associations on the resulting loss of nomination rights. In response, it was advised that there was no legal requirement for housing associations to inform the council when their properties were sold however officers were considering how the supply of housing association properties in the borough could be monitored closer.

·         The Islington Lettings scheme was being reviewed. It was commented that the scheme faced significant competition from local lettings agents. 

·         The Committee raised concerns about housing fraud and in particular council properties being advertised for sub-let through online services such as Airbnb. The Executive Member had engaged in discussions with Airbnb about this.

·         The Committee discussed how the implementation of universal credit would affect the housing service. It was advised that the council could apply to receive payments for rent directly from tenants’ benefits if they were in a high level of arrears. It was suggested that the council should seek direct debit payments from tenants on universal credit to reduce the likelihood of them entering arrears.

·         In response to a question, it was advised that around 1,000 households were paying the Bedroom Tax. Some of these households were claiming Discretionary Housing Payments.

·         The Committee noted the council’s new build developments and queried if shared ownership was an effective use of subsidy, given that many shared ownership properties in the borough were only affordable to higher income households. In response the Executive Member acknowledged that shared ownership was increasingly unaffordable, particularly in the south of the borough, however commented that there was a need for intermediate housing options.

·         It was suggested that the council’s quarterly housing performance should be benchmarked against larger housing associations for comparative purposes.

The Committee thanked Councillor Ward for his attendance.

RESOLVED:

That progress against key performance indicators in Quarter 3 2016/17 be noted.