Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director which provides a summary of key performance of the Welwyn Hatfield Community Housing Trust.

Report of the Executive Director and accompanying presentations summarising of the performance of the key areas of Welwyn Hatfield Community Housing Trust’s (the Trust) Voids Management Services activity up to the end of the second quarter of 2016/17 together with the work with the Tenant’s Panel Scrutiny Committee.

During the presentations and discussion the following points were made:-

Housing Stock

·         Although the number of right to buy properties had not risen significantly this might change in the future.

Rent Collection and Arrears Management

·         The bad debt provision had been reduced from £800,000 to £350,000 as it had been considered to be exceptionally high.  Action had been and continued to be taken to mitigate losses.

·         Tenants in prolonged financial difficulty continued to receive substantial support from the Trust.

Housing Needs Register

·         All allocations and decisions made were in accordance with the Council’s allocations policy, with the aim of fair allocation of a scarce resource.

·         The suggestion of a briefing on the allocation policy for Members was welcomed.

Complaints

·         The view was expressed that when Members used the Member Enquiry email address for housing queries in regards for their Constituents an acknowledgement of receipt and action should be sent immediately.

·         Members considered that having to wait ten working days to receive an acknowledgement was not acceptable.  Members wished to be made aware as early as possible that the email had been received by the Trust and had been forwarded to the appropriate Officer to be actioned.

·         Members agreed that the appropriate housing email address be recirculated to all Members.

Repairs

·         Members welcomed the work undertaken to achieve the target of 100% of the housing stock for gas servicing and felt the performance of TSG to be very positive.

·         Members noted that not all offers to visit were taken up by tenants and that all contractors and Officers received safeguarding training to report any concerns identified on visits.  All properties were visited at least once a year for gas servicing.  If a tenant did not respond to contact from the Trust then there would be a visit to the property.

·         The Trust was currently looking at introducing new ways of engaging tenants in order that regular visits be undertaken.  

Void Properties

·         Members noted that the percentage of rent lost from vacant dwellings (cumulative) had been reported incorrectly and should show as amber and not green as reported.

·         The Trust had set up a multi team group to monitor voids, particularly ‘strategic voids’ which could include properties that were empty awaiting possible redevelopment or major works.

Welwyn Hatfield Tenants’ Panel Scrutiny Committee’s

Review of the Welfare Gardening Scheme

The Chairman of the Welwyn Hatfield Tenants’ Panel presented the report of the Scrutiny Committee which outlined the findings and recommendations from the first scrutiny review of the Welfare Gardening Scheme for the attention of the Housing Trust Board.

The Chairman of the Panel, on behalf of its Members, welcomed the clear and concise report, and thanked the Tenants Panel for their hard work and commitment which had gone into the review.

RESOLVED:

The performance of the key areas of Welwyn Hatfield Community Housing Trust’s (the Trust) activity up to the end of the second quarter of 2016/17 together with the work with the Tenants’ Panel Scrutiny Committee be noted and recommendations arising from the Tenants’ Scrutiny report to be circulated to relevant Heads of Services for consideration.