June Housing Stock Options. What you told us

Transcription

1 June 2009 Housing Stock Options What you told us

2 In February this year the Council sent a leaflet and questionnaire to every tenant and leaseholder living in its housing. We asked residents what they thought about the five options that the Council had set out as potential solutions for resolving a shortfall in housing funding in coming years. The five options we asked you about were: Carrying on as we are but having to limit future investment and services to live within our means. Asking for a change in the rules lobbying the Government for change to financial governance, on the basis we are a highperforming housing authority. Transferring the stock to another (social) landlord who could both borrow and raise money that is not available to the Council under Government rules. Using private finance to bring in a private sector partner to manage some of our estates under a contractual arrangement. Developing our estates finding opportunities through our estates to generate funding for new homes and investment in other estates. 515 people returned the questionnaire to us either on paper or on our website. This leaflet summarises what you said The results A large number of comments were received. The most common themes were the importance of retaining the Council as a landlord, a desire for improved repairs and maintenance of homes and estates, and affordable rents and charges. These comments will be used to help us understand some of your views and priorities. You can see a breakdown of comments received on page 5. 2

3 Around a quarter of respondents to the questionnaire were leaseholders (26 per cent) and three-quarters (72 per cent) were tenants. Postcode information was requested which tells us that responses were received from across the borough. Commenting on the future of the Council s Housing Services, and what priorities we should pursue, these results were received. 91 per cent considered that it is important to maintain estates in good condition and 84 per cent considered that it is important to improve the environment of estates, with no signifi cant differences in opinion between tenants and leaseholders. 91 per cent agreed that rents and charges should remain affordable. 79 per cent agreed that the Council should make proposals to central Government that will make the Royal Borough s position better in the future. Effi ciently run estates, value for money and excellent level of upkeep. Keeping the estates modern, good to live in and valuable - a resident s comment. 44 per cent disagreed with the idea that services should be reduced rather than a change in the way they are delivered. Leaseholders were more likely to disagree with this statement than tenants. housingstockoptions 3

4 Responding to the possibility of changing the landlord in charge of the Council s housing, we received these responses. 73 per cent agreed that it is important that the Council remains my landlord. This is more important to tenants (78 per cent) than leaseholders (58 per cent). 40 per cent disagreed that they would support the Council bringing in a private sector partner to manage some estates if it meant their home remained owned by the Council while 37 per cent agreed. 46 per cent agreed that they would vote for the TMO to take on ownership and management their home if the TMO undertook to fund repairs and improvements. 53 per cent of tenants agreed compared with 28 per cent of leaseholders. 49 per cent did not agree that they would vote for another social landlord to take on ownership and management of my home if they undertook to fund repairs and improvements compared with 22 per cent who agreed. On redevelopment of estates, this was the range of responses. Opinion about estate remodelling was split with 35 per cent disagreeing and 30 per cent agreeing that my estate would benefit from remodelling, with new homes for all Council tenants. 58 per cent of leaseholders disagreed with this statement compared with 26 per cent of tenants. 42 per cent agreed that Council estates should be rebuilt, producing more new homes, and allowing some homes and shops to be sold to raise income to fund the building of Council homes to a higher standard. Only 27 per cent disagreed. 4

5 We asked you What one thing would you most like to happen as a result of this stock options review? Lots of comments were made in response to this, so we have grouped them by theme. The following table lists the top ten most frequent comments made. We asked you to tell us how strongly you agreed or disagreed with each of the statements below. This is what you said. Theme of comment Number of comments 1 Council to remain landlord 51 2 Improved repairs and maintenance 38 3 Affordable or lower rents and charges 32 4 No change to the current arrangements 23 5 Desire to have home safeguarded, security of tenure, or current community maintained 23 6 Improvements to homes and estates 21 7 Proposals to or action by Government 19 8 Concerns about current TMO management 17 9 More homes, more suitable or better quality homes Estate should be renewed 13 housingstockoptions 5

6 Our request was for residents to tell us how strongly you agreed or disagreed with each of the statements below, by ticking in one of the boxes. This is what you said. I would prefer services to be reduced rather than any change in the way they are delivered. I would support the Council bringing in a private sector partner to manage some of the estates if it meant my home remained owned by the Council. The Council should make proposals to central Government that will make the Royal Borough s position better in the future. I would vote for the TMO to take on ownership and management of my home if they undertook to fund repairs and improvements. I would vote for another social landlord to take on ownership and management of my home if they undertook to fund repairs and improvements. It is important to me that the Council remains my landlord. My estate would benefit from remodelling, with new homes for all Council tenants. Council estates should be rebuilt, producing more new homes, and allowing some additional homes and shops to be sold to raise income to fund the building of Council homes to a higher standard. It is important to maintain estates in good condition. It is important to improve the environment of estates. Rents and charges should be affordable. 6

7 Strongly agree agree neither agree nor disagree disagree Strongly disagree No comment 14% 16% 19% 23% 21% 8% housingstockoptions 7

8 What will happen next? The Council plans to take a decision this year on the best way forward to fund services and investment for your homes in the future. We have noted your views on the options, as expressed in these questionnaire results, and also in the feedback we have received from our Roadshows, and from the Insight Group meetings held by TACT@DOME, your Independent Tenant and Leaseholder Adviser. These views will be put together with the research we are doing into the viability of estate regeneration, and with the studies that our consultants are doing into the future costs of providing really good services to your homes. Your Councillors will be considering all of this information together. We will write to you again once Councillors have reached a view on the best option to resolve our approaching housing fi nance shortfall. This is planned for Autumn Meanwhile, you can keep up to date with plans by looking at the Housing page of our website or yourhomeyourfuture@rbkc.gov.uk or phone the team on Your Independent Tenant and Leaseholder Adviser will also contact you this Summer with an update on its work with tenants and leaseholders. You can contact the Adviser on its free phone number or admin@domeconsultants.co.uk. June The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea njc.