Review: October Abstract

Transcription

1 Abstract To improve the housing and environmental conditions of a designated area in Hull the Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) Project was introduced by Hull City Council in partnership with Humber Landlords Association, Gateway, Humberside Fire & Rescue Service and Humberside Police. In accordance with the projects aims and objectives all private rented properties within a specified project area would be inspected using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (Housing Act 2004). Landlords who underwent training assisted the project through self regulation by inspecting their own properties. Owner occupiers were offered free home safety check visits. In addition the PEAL Team aimed to focus into the project areas, the resources of Hull City Council departments dealing with antisocial behaviour and environmental crime. This approach was in contrast with recent local authority activity in the area which had been predominantly reactive. Review: October 2010 Eighteen months after its launch this review considers the outcomes of project and considers the successes and failures of the projects approach. In addition to the analysis of improvements in housing conditions and the effect of the projects activity on the area as a whole, various methods have been used to capture opinion, including the use of resident questionnaires, the hosting of individual focus groups for landlords, residents and partners, and the provision of regional peer review. The outcomes in terms of improvements to housing standards in the private rented sector are encouraging with a substantial number of housing hazards removed and properties brought up to a decent standard. The work of the team and its partners, in particular the Humber Landlords Association, Hull Warm Zone and Humberside Fire & Rescue Service has resulted in a significant reduction in service requests being received by the local authority, particularly in relation to poor housing condition. In addition the estimated savings in costs to health and care services and society as a whole are shown to considerably outweigh the costs of hazard removal. Of significant value is the launch of landlord self regulation, assessed during the review and deemed to be successful. Continued monitoring will allow this scheme to continue city wide which in turn will enable local authority resources to be targeted towards landlords who fail to proactively manage their properties. The strategic approach of focussing the existing resources of other local authority departments towards proactively dealing with issues within the project areas did not prove to be universally successful for the PEAL Team. The learning outcomes from this review will give management direction as work to conclude the project progresses, in addition to steering future decisions relating to moving the project to other areas in the city. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL)

2 Hull City Council is committed to proactively working with private landlords and other partners to improve both housing and local environmental conditions. The partnership approach of the Proactive housing & Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) Project has achieved real outcomes for residents in these areas! Councillor Michael Ross Portfolio: Customer and Neighbourhood Services Hull City Council We have welcomed the opportunity to work with partners and the community on the PEAL project. We fully support Hull City Council in its endeavours to improve the quality of accommodation throughout the city of Hull. Andrew Miller Landlord Humber Landlords Association "The PEAL Project produced an excellent response and interest regarding Home Fire Safety checks, reducing the risk of a fire death or injury in the private housing community. Key to this success was the demonstration of collaborative working with partners." Andy Ellis Community Safety Manager Humberside Fire & Rescue Service Hull Warm Zone found the PEAL project to be a valuable and productive exercise in partnership working. We accessed many residents who were eligible for grant support for energy saving measures which means more people are now benefiting from a warmer home and reduced fuel bills. John Bell Director Hull Warm Zone Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL)

3 Contents Page No. Abstract Introduction Aims & Objectives What Have We Done and What Have We Achieved? Local Opinion Housing Outcomes Landlord Training Hull Accredited Landlord Scheme Improvement to Housing Conditions Empty Properties Owner Occupied Properties Warm Zone Intervention Fire Safety Awareness & Free Home Safety Checks Tenant Accreditation Other Agency Outcomes Environmental Outcomes Improving Security & Reducing Crime Assistance for Migrant and Black & Minority Ethnic Households Street Frontage Improvements (Avenues) Cost Savings Service Request Analysis The Cost of Poor Housing Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL)

4 5. Partners, Landlords & Residents views Partners Views Local Resident s Views Landlord s Views Conclusions Lasting Legacies What Hasn t Worked and What Could We Do Better? Exit Strategy / Future Plans Remaining Work to be Completed Sub Regional Peer Review References Appendices Appendix 1: Private Rented Sector Steering Group: Terms of Reference Appendix 2: Avenues PEAL Intervention Area Appendix 3: Shire Streets PEAL Intervention Area Appendix 4: Initial PEAL Questionnaire Appendix 5: Initial PEAL Questionnaire Results (Avenues) Appendix 6: Initial PEAL Questionnaire Results (Shire Streets) Appendix 7: Review Questionnaire (July 2010) Appendix 8: Review Questionnaire Results & Analysis Appendix 9: Leaflet: Identifying Common Housing Hazards Appendix 10: Tennant Accreditation Leaflet Appendix 11: Partners Focus Group Report Appendix 12: Residents Focus Group Report Appendix 13: Landlords Focus Group Report Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL)

5 Abstract To improve the housing and environmental conditions of a designated area in Hull the Proactive housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) Project was introduced by Hull City Council in partnership with Humber Landlords Association, Gateway, Humberside Fire & Rescue Service, Hull City Safe and Humberside Police. In accordance with the projects aims and objectives all private rented properties within a specified project area would be inspected using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (Housing Act 2004). Landlords who undertook training assisted the project through self regulation by inspecting their own properties. Owner occupiers were offered free home safety check visits. In addition the PEAL Team aimed to focus into the project areas, the resources of Hull City Council departments dealing with antisocial behaviour and environmental crime. This approach was in contrast with Private Housing Team activity in the area which had been predominantly reactive. Following its launch in March 2009 this review considers the outcomes of the project and examines the effectiveness of the projects approach, in particular looking for potential areas for development or improvement. In addition to the analysis of improvements in housing conditions and the effect of the projects activity on the area as a whole, various methods have been used to capture opinion, including the use of resident questionnaires, the hosting of individual focus groups for landlords, residents and partners, and the provision of sub regional peer review. The outcomes in terms of improvements to housing standards in the private rented sector are encouraging with a substantial number of housing hazards removed and properties brought up to a decent standard. The work of the team and its partners, in particular the Humber Landlords Association, Hull Warm Zone and Humberside Fire & Rescue Service has resulted in a significant reduction in service requests being received by the local authority, particularly in relation to poor housing condition. In addition the estimated savings in costs³ to health and care services and society as a whole are shown to considerably outweigh the costs of hazard removal³. Of significant value is the launch of landlord self regulation, assessed during the review and deemed to be successful. Continued monitoring will allow this scheme to continue city wide which in turn will enable local authority resources to be targeted towards landlords who fail to proactively manage their properties. The co-ordination and focussing of existing resources from within the council s different service areas towards proactively dealing with issues within the project areas achieved significant outcomes, but did not prove to be universally successful for the PEAL Team. The learning outcomes from this review will inform the project steering group in their future decision making relating to a suitable approach in the future. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 1

6 1 Introduction The PEAL Project had its origins in selective licensing when, during discussions with landlords, they challenged the need for selective licensing suggesting proactive intervention through greater use of enforcement powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, refuse issues, empty properties and housing conditions. A Private Rented Sector Steering Group was established and chaired by the Head of Housing Services which comprised landlord, tenant and Gateway¹ representatives, Area Directors, the Housing Portfolio Holder and some ward Councillors, senior officers from teams dealing with housing strategy, antisocial behaviour and environmental crime. In addition representatives from the Police, Fire Service and Warmzone² attended. The terms of reference for the Steering Group are at Appendix 1. The remit of the Steering Group was to provide guidance to the private housing team as to where it should focus its resources and also to identify an area or areas of the city where proactive intervention was needed. Statistical data provided by Gateway, Hull City Safe and Hull City Council relating to a number of areas across the city was considered in order to determine which areas resources should be directed towards. This included neighbourhood profiling data, property prices, number of properties for sale and to let, levels of antisocial behaviour, number of service requests for housing conditions, complaints about rubbish, dog fouling, graffiti and number of empty properties. In addition consultation with the Hull landlords Forum and each of Hull City Council s seven Area Teams was undertaken to capture their views regarding the potential location of this intervention. The Steering Group subsequently identified two specific areas for intervention, (see maps at appendix 2 & 3) both being areas of sustainable housing. The objectives identified by the Steering Group determined that the project would focus on improving private housing standards and energy efficiency, and tackle problems of fly tipping and anti-social behaviour. The first area, Alliance and De La Pole Avenue (Avenues) comprised 400 mostly terraced dwellings which were built pre 1919, were 2 and 3 storey with 3 and 4 bedrooms and of which approximately 25% were privately rented. Gateway was also planning to carry out a face-lifting scheme in this area which would include property frontage repairs and the construction of front boundary walls, railings and gates. The second area, the 8 Shire Streets, Hessle Road (Shires) comprised 800 pre 1919 dwellings situated just outside the Gateway intervention area of which 37.5% were privately rented. These dwellings were much smaller mainly 2 storey, 2 bedroom properties, many with problems caused by poorly designed internal layout. A new team comprising 5 officers were recruited appointed within the Private Housing Team with contributory funding from Gateway and the PEAL Project was launched in March Much of the project has relied upon focussing partner services in the area rather than through new resources or funding other than for the PEAL Project Team. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 2

7 It was planned that the PEAL team would encourage landlords to become accredited, and inspect all non accredited landlords properties. However, the Hull Accredited Landlord Scheme (HALS) requirement for a landlord to submit their full portfolio of properties resulted in a lack of agreement with the landlord representatives on the Steering Group and an alternative solution was devised that would allow landlords to self regulate. This review of the project considers how effective it has been by assessing the outcomes of the project against the initial aims and objectives. This has been done through resident questionnaires, opinions of residents, landlords and partners captured through hosting focus groups and the assessment of statistics relating to the improvement of housing conditions, environmental conditions and anti-social behaviour. 2 Aims & Objectives The following aims and objectives specific to the PEAL Project were taken from the Steering Group overall terms of reference. (Appendix 1) The project aimed to: Improve housing standards Reduce the number of empty properties Improve environmental conditions Pilot a tenant accreditation Scheme Improve fire safety awareness & provide free home safety checks Improve security Reduce anti-social behaviour Reduce crime 3 What Have We Done and What Have We Achieved? The launch of the project was publicised with the aid of a mobile unit provided by City Safe, situated in the Shires area on Hessle High Road. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 3

8 The unit, staffed by PEAL Project partners aimed to raise awareness of the projects forthcoming activity. In addition proactive door knocking and a leaflet drop occurred in the areas to advertise the objectives of and gain local support for the project. Gateway subsequently sited the Community Action Box (CAB) in the Avenues area for approximately 4 months which enabled awareness-raising within this area of the project. The CAB offered residents the chance to speak to the Council's neighborhood management team, antisocial behavior officers, community wardens, Police and Fire Service on their doorstep. 3.1 Local Opinion Residents were sent a postal questionnaire at the start of the project to obtain some base line data on their impressions of the area. A copy of the questionnaire and the results can be seen at Appendices 4, 5 & 6. The findings from the questionnaire were used to give direction to the project, particularly with regard to satisfaction with housing and environmental conditions. After the project had been operating for 16 months residents were again sent a postal questionnaire. There was also the opportunity for residents to complete the second questionnaire on-line. A copy of the second questionnaire and the results can be seen at Appendices 7 & 8. At the start of the project residents were asked to indicate the extent of their happiness with both the area, and their homes. The efforts of the PEAL project have resulted in a small increase in people who are happy with their home; however the results for indicating happiness with the area remain unchanged. Table 1: Resident Opinion Relating to Home & Surrounding Area Resident Opinion Avenues Shires Total (2010) 2009 (2010) 2009 (2010) 2009 Happy with Home 53 95% 90% 63 82% 80% % 85% Unhappy with Home 3 5% 10% 14 18% 20% 17 13% 15% Happy with Area 34 61% 62% 26 34% 32% 60 45% 45% Unhappy with Area 22 39% 38% 51 66% 68% 73 55% 55% As this survey was revisited in July 2010 residents were asked about how safe they felt in the home and in the local area. Although a significant majority of responses stated that they felt safe in their homes, 1 in 2 respondents were concerned about their safety in the surrounding area. Whilst these headline figures appear to have only marginally improved there is evidence of real progress with regards 13 areas of particular relevance to the Private Housing team s contribution to the PEAL Project. Residents were asked to identify whether or not particular issues were a problem where they lived so that we could compare their responses to the questions we had asked in The top five issues Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 4

9 facing residents at the time of the first survey are detailed in Chart 1 and compared to responses provided in the follow-up survey. Chart 1: Environmental Issues % of Respondents Identifying Problem 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Rubbish in streets/alleyways Litter Dog fouling Poor looking or dilapidated buildings Fly tipping What is immediately clear is the reduction that has taken place in the proportion of residents registering these issues as problems. Whilst the disposal of rubbish and the ownership of dogs continues to prove problematic there is a double digit reduction in the regularity with which this was commented upon. Furthermore, the survey demonstrates a 47% reduction in concerns about poor looking and dilapidated buildings. This is particularly striking in the Avenues area which has been subject to a face lifting scheme, where only 9% of responses saw it as an issue against 64% last year. There are other statistically significant successes with a 43% reduction in vandalism, a 32% reduction in the scale of concern over empty houses, a 32% reduction in graffiti and a 29% reduction in issues related to properties open to trespass. It can be observed that in terms of the fabric of properties and the way in which empty and dilapidated houses have been handled there is greater satisfaction now than at the beginning of the project. The areas of concern which remain are linked Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 5

10 directly to the residents of both these areas and their attitude towards the cleanliness of their local environment with regards to rubbish and dog faeces. Unfortunately the survey did not provide good data in terms of how we might improve the processes attached to the PEAL project. 80% of people bypassed the question asking if they had had any housing related issues in the preceding 18 months. The comments left by respondents in the free text boxes did not address the needs of the survey in identifying the ways in which the PEAL project could be improved. It did highlight some areas where there was dissatisfaction at the way certain parts of the council had handled previous complaints but these were mostly from owner occupiers. Nevertheless the free text comments, attached at Appendix 8 make for useful reading and should inform future service delivery. 3.2 Housing Outcomes: The exterior of all 1200 properties in the two areas were inspected at the outset of the project to help judge the accuracy of subsequently returned landlords self assessments. Any properties where the landlord was not a HALS member did not undergo training or failed to carry out a self assessment was to be pro-actively inspected. Initial intentions were to complete the inspection program of the project within 12 months. This would have required landlords to self regulate in 75% of the rented properties leaving the PEAL Team with approximately 100 inspections to complete. This target for self regulation has proven to be overly optimistic as detailed at Landlord Training A training course to enable landlords to identify hazards as defined by the Housing Health & Safety Rating System (HHSRS) (Housing Act 2004) was provided free of charge. Significant consideration was given to getting a suitable balance to the training between risk assessment and specific standard setting. The training was outsourced in the first instance and the Residential Landlords Association was appointed following a formal tendering process, to develop and deliver the training. After the first 3 training sessions the training was carried out by Hull City Council Private Housing (Environmental Health) Team. Ten training courses have been provided with 119 landlords having attended. Feedback from attendees of the training course indicated a high level of satisfaction with the course content with over 90% of respondents indicating that they found the information provided and the training material useful. All respondents (100%) indicated that they were happy or very happy with the presenter s knowledge of the subject area. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 6

11 The following requirements for self regulation were agreed with landlords: Attendance on the HHSRS training course. Submission of a completed inspection sheet for each property within the project area, together with any relevant safety certificates. A schedule of works identified during the inspection as being required and a timescale for completion pf works. The inspection sheet to be used by landlords was developed and trialled in conjunction with the Humber Landlords Association (HLA). Additional consultation with the HLA specifically relating to Fire Safety also resulted in agreement as to what should be present in certain types of dwellings, specifically with regard to dwellings with a poorly designed internal layout, for escape from fire purposes. Detailed guidelines regarding Excess Cold were provided using energy performance certificate data, where available, as a guide to the degree of severity of the hazard, with a range of qualifying factors such as, heating systems to be controllable and to cover the whole dwelling including kitchens and bathrooms. Landlords with works to carry out were offered interest free loans from the Private Housing Team in partnership with the Home Improvement Trust, free smoke detectors from Humberside Fire & Rescue Service, (HFRS) and for members of the Hull Accredited Landlords Scheme (HALS), discounted heating systems. In the first 18 months of the project 28% (113) of the privately rented properties had a completed self assessment form returned, identifying hazards to be removed. A full inspection of a sample of properties to check the effectiveness of the landlord training was completed in 10 properties owned by 10 different landlords. The following charts illustrate the results obtained and show that in 70% of the properties checked, all hazards had been correctly identified. Chart 2: Review of Landlord Self Assessment: Hazard Identification (10 Properties) Properties with hazards correctly identified (7) Properties with hazards missed (3) Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 7

12 Chart 3: Review of Landlord Self Assessment: Hazards Identified & Removed (10 Properties) Chart 3 shows that 38 hazards had been identified in comparison to 5 hazards not correctly identified. This equates to 88% of hazards being correctly identified by landlords. Also shown is that 18 hazards have been removed by landlords with the remaining 20 hazards to be removed pending works Hull Accredited Landlord Scheme The Hull Accredited Landlord Scheme (HALS) requirement for a landlord to submit their full portfolio of properties resulted in a lack of agreement with the landlord representatives on the steering group with the original intention of requiring HALS membership as the only route to self regulation. This resulted in the alternative self regulation scheme within the PEAL Project areas. Despite this the number of accredited landlords operating within the PEAL Project area has increased marginally during the projects operation from 16 to 21 landlords, managing a total of 40 properties. This percentage of accredited private sector rented properties is equivalent to the city average of approximately 10% 5. During the project HALS landlords have been able to access Council s discounted heating scheme administered by the Private Housing Team. This has resulted in 10 discounted central heating systems being installed in the PEAL areas. A city wide self assessment / referral scheme which operates alongside HALS has been subsequently signed up to by 35 trained landlords. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 8

13 3.2.3 Improvement to Housing Conditions Poor quality housing is intrinsically linked will poor health. It can impact on peoples life expectancy and their overall quality of life; it also increases the burden on the NHS and other public services. Hazards such as cold and damp, lack of means of escape from fire and falls cause illness, injury or death³. Local authorities have legal powers to require landlords to remedy these hazards and the following statistics show the effects of Hull City Council proactively working in an area with high levels of poor quality housing in addition to responding to service requests. Table 2: Property Inspection Statistics Inspections Type De la pole / Alliance Shire Streets Cumulative Totals Inspections carried out as a result of a service request Proactive PEAL Officer inspections carried out Landlord self assessment forms returned Inspection Totals At 30 th September inspections have been carried out by the PEAL Team, and 113 inspections have been completed by landlords. In addition 104 revisits have been made by PEAL officers to assess the progress of works. Approximately 147 privately rented properties remain to be inspected, of these 50 are known to be managed by landlords who attended the training but have yet to submit inspection forms. It is estimated that this inspection programme will be completed by the end of Statistics relating to specific housing outcomes are detailed below. Chart 4: Officer Inspections at 30 th September 2010 De La Pole / Alliance Shire Streets Outstanding Inspections Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 9

14 Chart 5: Landlord Inspections at 30 th September 2010 De La Pole / Alliance Shire Streets Outstanding Inspections Table 3: Category 1 Hazards Identified & Removed by PEAL Officer / Landlord Identified by PEAL Officer Identified by Landlord Removed by PEAL Officer Removed by Landlord Category 1 Hazard (1) Damp and Mould Growth (2) Excess Cold (12) Entry by Intruders (13) Lighting (15) Domestic Hygiene, Pests & Refuse (17) Personal Hygiene, Sanitation & Drainage (20) Falling on Level Surfaces etc (21) Falling on Stairs etc (22) Falling Between Levels (23) Electrical Hazards (24) Fire (25) Flames, Hot Surfaces etc (26) Collisions & Entrapment (28) Position & Operability of Amenities (29) Structural Collapse & Falling Elements Total Hazards Identified Project Total Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 10

15 Table 4: Category 2 Hazards Identified & Removed by PEAL Officer / Landlord Identified by PEAL Officer Identified by Landlord Removed by PEAL Officer Removed by Landlord Category 2 Hazard (1) Damp and Mould Growth (2) Excess Cold (9) Uncombusted Fuel Gas (11) Crowding & Space (12) Entry by Intruders (13) Lighting (15) Domestic Hygiene, Pests & Refuse (16) Food Safety (17) Personal Hygiene, Sanitation & Drainage (19) Falls Associated With Baths etc (20) Falling on Level Surfaces etc (21) Falling on Stairs etc (22) Falling Between Levels (23) Electrical Hazards (24) Fire (25) Flames, Hot Surfaces etc (26) Collisions & Entrapment (27) Explosions (28) Position & Operability of Amenities etc (29) Structural Collapse & Falling Elements Total Hazards Identified Project Total Tables 3 & 4 show that approximately 50% of hazards identified during the project have been removed. The remaining outstanding works to remove hazards are being completed by landlords and progress is being monitored by PEAL Officers. It is worth noting in Table 5 that in inspections completed by self regulating landlords the incidence of category 1 Hazard identification was half that identified by PEAL officers. This trend is repeated with category 2 hazards Table 5: Incidence of Hazard Identification by PEAL Officer / Landlord Category 1 Hazards Identified Category 2 Hazards Identified Inspections Completed Incidence / Dwelling Landlord Inspections PEAL Officer Inspections Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) Incidence / Dwelling 11

16 Chart 6: Dwellings with all Category 1 Hazards Removed / Made Decent All Category 1 Hazards Removed Property Made Decent (Non- Vulnerable Group) Property Made Decent (Vulnerable Group) Chart 6 shows the number of Dwellings where all identified Category 1 hazards have been removed. Also shown is the number of dwellings where intervention has led to the dwelling reaching the Decent Homes Standard. The government criteria for decent homes are that the dwelling should: meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing, be in a reasonable state of repair, have reasonably modern facilities and services, provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort Empty Properties At the commencement of the project council tax data indicated that 57 properties had been empty for more than 6 months in the Shires area. Accurate data for the Avenues was not available as at the beginning of the project as this area still had a significant number of properties where flood remediation work was still to be completed following localised flooding in June During the project 61 Empty Property Questionnaires were sent to owners with the intention of making contact to determine their intentions for the property, with a view to further dialogue and if necessary enforcement to deal with any nuisance issues. During the project various means of assistance were available to assist with bringing properties back into use including interest free loans and discounted heating Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 12

17 systems for accredited landlords. At 30 th September 2010 council tax data showed there to be 18 long term empty properties, 16 in the Avenues and 2 in the Shires. There was a consensus of opinion at the landlords focus group held during September 2010 as part of this review, that demand for properties is currently strong in both areas Owner Occupied Properties For owner occupiers the PEAL Team have carried out external inspections with the view of targeting any properties in very poor condition; this is complemented by the offer of a free home inspection followed by financial advice about ways to fund any works through loans and grants available from the Private Housing Team in partnership with the Home Improvement Trust. In addition an advice leaflet identifying key hazards found to be common in the area will be distributed to all owner occupiers. (See draft leaflet at Appendix 9) There has been little take up of the free home inspection by owner-occupiers however 6 households accessed renovation grants, 2 households were provided with top up grants for heating and 1 household accessed the equity release scheme Warm Zone Intervention Warm Zone has targeted all the dwellings in the area to see if they could benefit from improvements to heating or insulation provision. In addition, where appropriate, residents have been referred by the PEAL team to Warm Zone for assistance. 109 measures of either heating or insulation have been installed or are approved for installation Fire Safety Awareness & Free Home Fire Safety Checks Free home fire safety checks have been carried out by the Community Protection section of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS). These educational visits are important as most fires start as the result of human behaviour rather than building defects. 104 fire safety checks have been carried out during the project and 99 smoke detectors have been fitted free of charge to the resident. 31 properties referred to HFRS resulted in the resident refusing a fire safety check. 3.3 Tenant Accreditation A tenant accreditation / referencing scheme initially operating in the PEAL Project areas was piloted with the aim of linking responsible tenants with participating landlords. The Pilot was launched in April (Scheme literature: Appendix 10) The scheme, developed in consultation with local landlords is closely linked to the enhanced housing options project (EHO), also being delivered by the Housing Service and its partners, which helps residents to find jobs, access training and education. Every customer who accesses the tenant accreditation scheme who is not in work, training or education is signposted through the EHO project to a relevant 13 Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL)

18 support partner. Furthermore, some employers will consider the tenant accreditation card in lieu of an employment reference where this cannot be obtained. Customers who are unable to obtain full accredited status are signposted to a range of organisations for assistance including Hull s Community Legal Advice Centre, Welfare Support, YPSS, Supporting People, and Homelessness Team etc for support, and can obtain probationary accreditation. In order to promote the scheme a letter and application form was hand delivered to each rented property in the PEAL areas, followed up by a Bluetooth message that transmitted a text message to all mobile phones with Bluetooth connectivity enabled. Landlords and Letting Agents operating within the PEAL areas were also encouraged to promote the scheme, and information was provided to HALS members and HLA members. Information has been available for residents at the Council s customer service centres and the local area teams have promoted the scheme to residents by adding information to ward newsletters. It has been determined however during the pilot that the 'turn over in the private rented sector in the project areas is not sufficient to generate enough applications to enable adequate evaluation of the pilot before expanding across the city. Consequently it is intended to extend the area of the city where tenant accreditation can be obtained to include the whole of Newington and St Andrew's wards as well as the sections of the wards covering the Holderness Road Corridor, namely Holderness, Drypool, Ings, Southcoates East and West. The intention being that the tenant accreditation scheme supports the private rented sector within the Gateway¹ priority areas. Table 6: Tenant Accreditation Scheme Data: April 2010 September 2010 Applications received 15 Fully Accredited 5 Probationary Accredited 1 Accreditation Declined 0 Pending Applications 9 Referred to other Agency (Employment Advisor Probe) Other Agency Outcomes Various Council service providers including the Riverside and West Area Teams, Environmental Crime and Antisocial Behaviour Team, partnered by the Police, were encouraged and assisted during the project to focus their resources in improving the safety and local environment of the project areas. Representatives from these service providers and partners attended the Private Sector Housing Steering Group, additional funding was however not available for these service providers or project partners. The following outcomes were achieved. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 14

19 3.4.1 Environmental Outcomes During the project the Humber Landlords Association funded the provision of skips for residents in the Shires to remove unwanted items. The Environmental Crime and Street Scene Teams were also active in the area keeping it clean and responding to occurrences of fly-tipping. Since the launch of the project 123 service requests by local residents relating to rubbish, fly tipping and household waste accumulations have been addressed. Analysis of service requests (Section 4) shows that there has been a significant increase in the number received over the period of the project. The PEAL Team had discussions with other Council services regarding the possible introduction of an additional service to address waste accumulations particularly in passageways, caused by vacating residents. Discussions are ongoing regarding the possibility of a red bag scheme for vacating residents to facilitate the removal of unwanted items which cannot be accommodated in existing bins. At present additional funding has not been found for this service. In addition to work carried out by the project partners, the PEAL Team actively assisted in a clean-up operation of rear alleys and ten-foots in the Shire Streets, coordinated and led by the West Area Team. This included door-to-door knocking to provide information to residents regarding waste removal and recycling services provided by the Council. Information was also provided to all landlords operating in the Shire Streets relating to waste collection and recycling services provided free of charge by the Council to enable this information to be provided to tenants Improving Security & Reducing Antisocial Behaviour / Crime As part of the Gateway funded frontage scheme alley gates were provided where necessary to the Avenues area to improve security and reduce crime. The West Area Team is currently working on an alley gating scheme in the Shires however has been unable to provide any during the project. Gating packs have been provided to residents and the Area team is encouraging residents to have gates installed with face to face contact at area meetings and by warden visits. PEAL Team officers have also encouraged residents to take advantage of this scheme however agreement is needed in writing from each property with access to an alley which can result in difficulties achieving authorisation. Reducing Anti-Social Behaviour in the project areas was initially addressed by holding surgeries for residents / landlords to attend. This approach however was not continued and anti-social behaviour issues occurring within the PEAL areas have been dealt with directly by the Antisocial Behaviour Team with the assistance of Community Police Officers. Information regarding dealing with antisocial tenants has also been provided by the Police to landlords. The incidence of service requests relating to antisocial behaviour fell as the project was launched but has increased during the last six months. Further analysis can be found in Section 4. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 15

20 3.4.3 Assistance for Migrant and Black & Minority Ethnic Households Skills4Communities (S4C), a non-profit making organisation has partnered with the PEAL project to provide free information, advice and guidance for migrant households and black & minority ethnic (BME) residents in the project areas relating to: Career, education & training Health & wellbeing Housing issues Employment, volunteering & business / social enterprise start Up Money matters, benefits and entitlements Social problems, BME engagement & participation Mentoring and advocacy for individuals, businesses & social enterprises This has been enabled by the provision of central government sourced migration impact funding. During the period of the project the following assistance has been provided: Letters, schedules of work and information leaflets translated when required. Distribution of materials to homes and local community shops/groups. Weekly drop in sessions held at the S4C Drop-in-Centre on Anlaby Road specifically for migrant householders in need of housing information and advice. To date 24 householders have registered for help with housing issues. Web page content relating to cultural awareness to support private landlords. Assistance with capturing resident opinions for the PEAL review. This S4C activity has increased the cultural awareness of private sector landlords taking migrant household tenancies to aid improved community cohesion, facilitated the improvement of housing conditions for migrant households living in the private rented sector and has Improved understanding of housing rights and standards within the migrant and BME communities. In July 2010 additional migration impact funding was secured to cover: The launch in September 2010 of a Private Rented Sector Resident Service Improvement Group. Further landlord training sessions. Smoke detectors for installing during fire safety checks. (based on referrals from S4C) The development of a multimedia Hazard House to raise awareness of housing hazards. When completed this will also benefit the city and region Street Frontage Improvements (Avenues) Residents of the Avenues area have benefited from having the front exterior of their homes and the general environment of the street improved. The scheme aim was to give residents a better quality of life and restore some of the original Victorian Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 16

21 character to the properties. The following images show the positive effects improvements have had in the area with the image on the right showing completed works in Alliance Avenue. Work, completed during the project by Gateway¹ included new front soffit and fascia boards, new front gutters and down pipes, new front boundary walls, new front windows, front door and painting. Residents were able to choose their preferred option of doors, exterior walls and railings from a range of options. A majority decision was taken on the walls and railings to be adopted by the whole street. The frontage improvement scheme whilst not a part of the PEAL Project has assisted the work of Officers in gaining improvements to housing conditions. Landlords at their focus group indicated that they were more willing to invest in their properties in the Avenues area following the frontage improvements. 4 Cost Savings This review gives consideration to any potential cost savings to local authority statutory functions in comparison to the cost of running the project. In a report of this size it is not possible to analyse and compare outputs to budgets of the Private Housing and PEAL Teams due to their different functions. The only additional project funding was for five PEAL Team members; a project manager, two housing enforcement officers, a senior accreditation officer and a business support officer. Other operating costs came out of the existing Private Housing Department budget and relied upon the focussing of existing Council resources into the project areas. 4.1 Service Request Analysis Table 7 details the service requests received for the PEAL Project area relating to housing standards, fly tipping and household waste, and antisocial behaviour. The data for 2010/11 is projected using the 6 month period April - September Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 17

22 A reduction in service request received by the Private Housing team demonstrate a potential 80% reduction in service requests received from the year before the project was launched. This reduction is not mirrored by service requests relating to environmental crime which show a steady increase; antisocial behaviour complaints initially fell but over the last six months have increased with projected figures for 2010/11 potentially higher than the year prior to the launch of the project. These trends are illustrated in Chart 7. Table 7: Service Request Data Comparison: Prior Project Launch - Current Service Requests Housing Environmental Crime Antisocial behaviour 2008/ / /11 (April Sept) /11 (projected) Chart 7: Service Requests Received Trend Analysis 120 number of service requests Housing Environmental Crime Antisocial behaviour / / /11 (projected) 4.2 The Cost of Poor Housing A recent research report: The Real Cost of Poor Housing³ provides evidence that even in the 21 st century, housing is a key determinant of health. In addition this report introduces a cost calculator which estimates the costs to society attributable to different types of accident and illness caused by poor housing condition, linked to a cost-benefit analysis with consideration given to the cost to repair. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 18

23 The method of estimating the cost is one previously used to evaluate the benefit of social housing refurbishment programmes and utilises HHSRS statistics on the spread of health outcomes in the event of an occurrence. Data from various other sources is utilised to estimate the costs to society, for example, increased government spending on medical, care costs and benefits, loss of future earnings, moving costs etc. English House Condition Survey data is then used to estimate the cost of work required to reduce a hazard to an average level to complete the other side of the cost-benefit analysis. In estimating the typical cost to society from each hazard consideration was given to the higher proportion of outcomes falling into the lower classes of harm for each hazard, and the differences in typical health and care costs resulting from incidents. Table 8 details some of the more commonly found hazards identified and removed in properties during the project. Taking estimated figures from the report, for health care and total costs to society, set against the average cost of repair to reduce the hazard to an acceptable level, some of the estimated savings to government and society resulting from PEAL project activity are shown. It is worth noting that the figures below only represent 8 of the 29 hazards but represent 75% of hazards removed during the project to date. Table 8: Cost Benefit Analysis Estimates Following Removal of Housing Hazards Hazards Removed Health & Care Cost / Hazard ( ) All Costs to Society/ Hazard ( ) Average Repair Cost / Hazard ( ) Total Savings (Health & Care) ( ) Total Savings (All Costs to Society) ( ) Total Repair Costs ( ) Cost Benefit Analysis ( ) Damp & Mould ,629 5,000 17, , , ,531 Excess Cold 28 18,512 40,832 4, ,336 1,143, ,000 1,031,296 Falls on the Level 16 3,328 12,931 1,000 53, ,896 16, ,896 Falls on Stairs 34 2,685 12,265 1,100 91, ,010 37, ,610 Falls Between Levels ,046 1,500 19, ,288 42, ,288 Fire 69 4,518 15,843 3, ,742 1,093, , ,267 Hot Surfaces & Materials ,903 2,000 6,080 89,030 20,000 69,030 Collision & Entrapment ,235 1,000 4, ,345 27, ,345 Total Savings 1,022,112 3,761, ,300 3,098,263 Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 19

24 This estimated data suggests that money spent wisely on improving homes could save the local NHS services several million pounds per year, and would also provide health benefits to individuals, potentially saving lives. The HHSRS method of evaluating the specific risk of a hazard occurring and the potential likely outcome also assists in targeting limited resources on the most cost effective solutions. The cost benefit analysis of repair cost compared to the cost to society of not removing hazards is illustrated in chart 7. Chart 8: Cost Benefit Analysis: Repair Cost Compared to Cost to Society 1,200,000 1,000, , , , ,000 - Total Savings (All Costs to Society) ( ) Total Repair Costs ( ) Cost Benefit Analysis ( ) Damp & Mould Excess Cold Falls on the Level Falls on Stairs Falls Between Levels Fire Hot Surfaces & Materials Collision & Entrapment 5 Partners, Landlords & Residents views In addition to the views provided by respondents to the resident questionnaires the views of residents, landlords and project partners were captured by holding 3 focus groups. The focus groups were facilitated by colleagues from sub regional partner local authorities in order to provide attendees with the opportunity to express their views and opinions with regard to the project. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 20

25 5.1 Partners Views A focus group for partners was held during September The full findings of the focus group can be found at Appendix 11. In summary the partners identified a general lack of understanding of the projects aims and objectives. This is surprising given their varied but integral role in contributing to the financing of the project, steering its direction and providing many of the outputs. It would appear that during the project s delivery some partners had become disengaged and were more likely to prioritise other areas of work. This was in the opinion of the partners attributable to some of the following issues: Steering Group meetings with landlords in attendance being confrontational, resulting in some partner representatives being either unwilling to attend meetings or unable to see the value of attending; The work individual partners are carrying out in the PEAL areas to address the projects aims and objectives being part of their general day-to-day work and responsibilities, resulting in loss of interest / focus and commitment to the project; Other more pressing priorities; The project being too housing oriented. A request for additional minuted partnership meetings highlighted that the existing reporting and communication method of inviting PEAL partner s attendance at the Steering Group was not universally recognised. Subsequently the cascading of information including minutes into partner organisations/ departments had not routinely occurred. The opinion expressed of duplication of objectives between the PEAL Project and its partners highlights a lack of understanding of the role of the PEAL Project to focus the existing resources of its partners into the project areas. 5.2 Local Resident s Views The residents focus group, although apparently attracting interest from respondents to the follow-up questionnaire, was only attended by one resident from the Shires area. In an attempt to capture a representative response 11 face to face interviews with residents were carried out by Skills 4 Communities 4. The full findings of the feedback can be found at Appendix 12. Despite a variety of responses the majority view corresponded with the review s initial findings that the project had been better perceived in the Avenues where street frontage works had coincided with PEAL Project activity. Despite this opinion however the majority of responders thought the areas had been improved with cleaner alleyways etc. There was better awareness of the PEAL Project with tenants Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 21

26 compared to owner-occupiers and PEAL Partner involvement in the areas was only acknowledged where a resident had personally benefited from service provision. There was a somewhat negative view of landlord practices in the area expressed by owner-occupiers, in addition to general resident concerns regarding Hull City Council / Police response to anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping. 5.3 Landlord s Views The views of landlords had been sought informally throughout the project and in order to regularly capture landlord s views a questionnaire was developed and sent to each landlord benefiting from a proactive house inspection at the completion of any actions identified to reduce hazards. Positive comments have been received alongside some negative comment relating to PEAL Project activity. Examples of some of the comments received are as follows: The information provided was very helpful The cost of alterations was far too expensive A focus group for landlords was also held during September The full findings of the focus group can be found at Appendix 13. In summary landlords believed that the project had: Made a positive impact in the areas and should be repeated in other areas within the City. Provided a way of working collectively with Hull City Council. Been much more successful where Gateway street frontage improvements have been done. Altered the way they managed their properties with their focus now being on risk rather than repair. Enabled participating landlords to develop better relationships with their tenants as proactive inspections gave an opportunity to remove hazards before enforcement action was initiated by tenants making service requests to the local authority. Individual comments include the following: Hull CC are the tops! I ve had about half a dozen follow up inspections by officers and there hasn t been much difference in our assessments It made me look for other things I d not previously considered Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 22

27 6 Conclusions Focussing resources within areas where local authority departments are receiving significantly high levels of requests for services has been shown during this project to have a significant effect in reducing the number of service requests received. This is particularly evident in the reduction of requests received by the Private Housing (Environmental Health) Team as the project progressed, relating to housing conditions. The partnership between landlords and the council, piloted during this project, was successful with good take-up of the provision of landlord hazard assessment training. This resulted in a significant boost to the overall outputs of the project to date with 48% of the total housing hazards removed achieved as a result of landlord self assessment. The total outputs will also rise as scheduled work is completed over coming months. Whilst the incidence of landlord identification compared to PEAL Officer identification of hazards per property was approximately 50%, Officer audit inspections of landlord self assessments revealed that 88% of hazards had been correctly identified by landlords. Although acknowledging that only a small sample of self assessments were audited it could be assumed that the general portfolio condition of landlords willing to engage in partnership working may be of a higher average standard than that of landlords who have chosen to not engage with the project. This evidence is complemented by encouraging evidence of a whole property management approach by participating landlords, moving from reactive defect repair to whole property proactive risk assessment. This level of success may also be attributable to the role played by landlord representatives who were involved in and contributed to the planning and steering of the project. It can also be hoped that the positive impact seen within the PEAL areas will be transferred across trained landlords city wide and regional property portfolios. The evolvement of the self-regulation scheme operating in all areas of the city is also a positive by-product of the project, allowing responsible landlords to manage their portfolios, and housing regulatory services to focus resources on improving housing standards where landlords are not engaged in pro-active property management. The project has also demonstrated value, both in the general outputs of the project such as hazards removed and properties brought up to the decent homes standard. In addition, considerations of the estimated cost benefit to health and care services, and secondly to society as a whole, illustrate not only the benefits to the individual from improved housing conditions but also the potential benefits to the public purse of specifically focussing resources where problems are known to exist within housing stocks. This is particularly relevant at a time of significant reduction in public spending. Evidence from various sources point to the greater perceived success of the project within the Avenues area following the street frontage improvements, with owners and particularly residents inspired by the positive impact of their improved environment. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 23

28 The partnership between external partner organisations such as Warm Zone and the Fire Service has been successful with many examples of interventions from both organisations resulting in housing improvements benefiting residents, many of whom are classed as vulnerable. The fire safety visits also benefited the community by provision of education relating to fire safety in the home. 6.1 Lasting Legacies The following outputs of the project will be lasting legacies beyond project and timescale boundaries. The principles developed in this project to deal with service requests are being used across the city. Service requests made to the Private Housing Team by members of the public are being directly referred to landlords who have undergone training and are members of the Humber Landlords Association. This facility has always been available to accredited landlords. It is also intended for the successful training course for landlords to become part of the Hull Accredited Landlord Scheme. (Subject to decisions relating to the sub-regional accreditation review) Training received by 116 landlords is transferable across portfolio properties in other areas of Hull and the region. The training course developed during the project continues to be offered to local landlords. Further training courses are planned for 2010 in addition to a training course for landlords operating in areas potentially subject to future regeneration, managing houses in multiple occupation and student accommodation. Dialogue with local landlords has resulted in agreed standards with regard to Excess Cold and Fire. Work is progressing relating to Crowding and Space. This should result in a reduced requirement for enforcement resulting from increased understanding and acceptance of minimum requirements by landlords. Some compromises were agreed relating to the Fire hazard on the assumption that if a large number of landlords agreed to improve their properties, although there may still be hazards these are at the lower end of the scale, lowering the overall risk to tenants across the city compared to a relatively small number of properties raised to a very high standard through enforcement. Continuing works / enforcement activity with regard to outstanding schedules of works following housing inspections will result in further improvements in housing conditions as works are completed. Resident survey findings (Appendices 8 & 12) have provided direction in terms of identifying future priorities for all project partners, particularly with regard to dog fouling, litter and rubbish in streets or alleyways and the problem of fly tipping. This is particularly relevant if recent improvement in local opinion with regard to these problems is to be maintained and increased. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 24

29 A legacy of working relationships and referral arrangements remain between the PEAL Team and the following organisations which will bring future benefits to residents of all areas of the City: o Humberside Fire & Rescue Service o Hull Warm Zone o Humber Landlords Association o Skills4Communities A service improvement group has been set up of private sector tenants following contacts made in the project areas. It is hoped that this group can represent the views of tenants when consultation relating to the private housing service occurs in the future. The Tennant Accreditation Scheme area has now been extended to the Newington and St Andrews Wards and parts of the Holderness Road corridor (approximately 7,500 privately rented properties). 6.2 What Hasn t Worked and What Could We Do Better? Working with other council services who have not been provided with additional resources to focus on tasks within the project area has not been successful in all cases. Conclusions from the partners focus group attendees indicated that teams dealing with area management, environmental crime and antisocial behaviour have an existing management structure outside of the PEAL Team and in addition are focussed by an Area Management structure. Whilst attending the Steering Group and therefore having an active role in steering the project, in reality the lack of additional resources to these departments has resulted in a lack of specific focus on the project aims and objectives. The view from within these departments, given to the focus group is that their reactive work in the PEAL areas is not necessarily driven by the PEAL Project aims and objectives. The significant reduction in housing standards service requests was not achieved in requests received relating to environmental crime and antisocial behaviour. Whilst the results from the resident survey identified a reduction in the proportion of residents registering environmental issues as problems, and a lack of reduction in general satisfaction in the area as a place to live, from the service request statistics it could be concluded that the project aims of reducing antisocial behaviour and improving environmental conditions have not been achieved. In light of the resident survey findings however it could be argued that service request statistics alone do not tell the whole story as there are many factors that could influence the placing of a service request with the Council. Good communication is essential for partnership working. The attendees at the partners focus group however indicated that the chain of communication set up at the PEAL Projects conception and detailed within the Steering Group Terms of Reference (Appendix 1), namely reporting to the Private Rented Sector Steering Group, was not universally recognised. This has resulted in some project partners and Council services not providing regular representation at the Steering Group. 25 Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL)

30 Despite the many positive outputs already identified, resulting from excellent partnership working, evidence provided to the partners focus group also indicated that some partners believed that the views and wishes of other partners were given too much prominence in influencing the project, resulting in a certain degree of partner disengagement. In addition over an 18 month period there have been changes in key personnel both within the PEAL Team, other Council services and its partner organisations. The presumption that Council services and project partners would routinely cascade information into their organisations/ departments did not sufficiently compensate for these personnel changes. This has resulted in some loss of momentum after the initial launch of the project, with not all project partners feeling engaged and valued over the long term. The resulting effect over the period of the project has been some loss of partner focus and engagement, evidenced by a lack of in-depth knowledge of the project by some partners attending the review focus group, and a failure to provide representation by others. There has been a disappointingly low take up of the tenant accreditation scheme pilot. It can be assumed that the combined factors of low tenant turn over and a relatively small pilot area have contributed to the low application rates. This is now being addressed by extending the project to further areas in the city. It is hoped that continued marketing of the scheme by the PEAL Team and its partners, and positive outcomes being passed on by word of mouth will result in an increase of applications. 7 Exit Strategy / Future Plans The project will be given direction from the Private Rented Sector Steering Group regarding both the completion of existing objectives, and the potential for launching the project to benefit new areas in the city. If the project is to be extended to other areas decisions would have to be made as to whether this should be in its current format, with obvious consideration given to addressing less successful outcomes, or whether only the successful elements of the project should be taken forward. Any future project activity must better involve the project partners, to improve understanding of project aims and objectives and increase partner buy-in. The PEAL Sub-Group to the Private Rented Sector Steering Group which first meets during November 2010 is designed to fulfil this need. The membership /attendance of this group must be by invitation, be prioritised by attendees and facilitate equal representation for all partners. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 26

31 7.1 Remaining Work to be Completed The following work remains to be completed in the existing PEAL areas: Outstanding inspections of approximately 147 privately rented properties, of which 50 are know to be managed by landlords who have attended training. This will be followed by the subsequent removal of identified hazards. Completion of work to remove 392 housing hazards already identified with outstanding schedules of work already in place for removal. Future monitoring of service requests relating to the project areas to provide further information with regard to the long term success of the project. A continued reduction in service requests would be a significant addition to the initial project outcomes. Continued promotion of the Tennant Accreditation Scheme; promotion methods being currently under review to ensure that all stakeholders are appropriately involved and promotion opportunities appropriately utilised. Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 27

32 8 Sub-Regional Peer Review This is a critical appraisal of the Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) Project introduced by Hull City Council in partnership with Humber Landlords Association, Gateway, Humber Fire and Rescue Service and Humberside Police. The project started in 2009 and 18 months later, in October 2010, an evaluation took place, including feedback from all partners. The PEAL project was an area based approach targeting poor housing conditions, particularly private rented accommodation, and environmental issues in two specific areas of Hull. The areas were chosen because of the poor housing conditions, the relatively high levels of environmental crime and private rented accommodation, levels of deprivation and high demands for service to the private sector housing department. Selective licensing (Housing Act 2004) could easily have been justified and introduced into either or both of these areas. One of the main intentions of the project was to flood the two areas with a number of public services but in practice it is this aim that proved to be the hardest to achieve; probably because for some internal services such as environmental crime the PEAL Project was not a priority and the steering group set up to oversee the project failed to fully co-ordinate services and achieve buy in from all. These issues were further compounded by the fact that there were no additional resources given to the service areas (except for housing) so there was no commitment to the aims and objectives that additional funding would have created. There also appears to have been some tension with some of the members of the steering group and the weight given to the views of the private landlords. A healthy and strong steering group is essential and therefore in future, there probably needs to be greater effort and time put in to achieve more commitment, better communication and greater buy in by all. The other area of the project which has certainly been less successful is the tenant accreditation scheme. This may in part also be reflected in the difficulty experienced with trying to engage with members of the community, be they either tenants or owner occupiers. Often engagement is difficult unless there is an obvious advantage or a gain for those that you are trying to engage with and this certainly seems to have been the difficulty for PEAL both in relation to community buy in and tenants interested in becoming accredited. Overall, however it is clear that the benefits and achievements of the project far outweigh the disadvantages for the housing service. Firstly, the relationship with private landlords has improved. At the partners focus group, the Humber Landlords Association were very positive and complementary about the project and whilst, cynically, it might be concluded that of course they would be since the alternative was regulation in the form of selective licensing and it was therefore in their best interests to be supportive, nevertheless it is clear that through the adopted approach and the training leading to self assessment, the trust between landlord and local authority officers, in many cases, improved significantly. From the results of the self-assessment forms and the reassessment by officers, landlords were clearly able to identify and remedy many of the hazards that existed Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 28

33 at their properties and whilst it would be worth considering a more in depth analysis of these assessments to determine whether there were particular hazards that landlords were failing or struggling to properly identify which could then be fed back into the training, its clear that on the whole, this approach was successful. Secondly, the number of service requests received by private sector housing has dramatically reduced. No doubt some of this reduction is due to the fact that properties have been visited proactively so a tenant hasn t needed to put in a complaint. The test will of course be whether this reduction is maintained after the project finishes, however, if the training has been as effective as it seems to have been and landlords can and do monitor their properties for hazards and then take action to remedy them, there is no reason why this reduced level shouldn t be maintained. To this end, there is an important role for the relevant landlords association to ensure that their members maintain their knowledge and comply with their code of conduct to remedy hazards in a timely fashion when they are identified. Interestingly, this reduction in service requests for housing was mirrored by an increase for other service areas, which is probably more to do with a heightened awareness of the services available and the priority given to tackling these issues. This however might unwittingly have lead to some of the disassociation from other service areas as they saw a positive correlation between their increased effort and an increase in work. Thirdly, using even the relatively crude BRE cost calculator, the impact on health and the reduction in treatment costs to the Health Service is startling. This outcome alone surely justifies all the effort and time spent on the PEAL project. In particular the chart comparing repair costs as against costs to society gives savings in the order of 300%. For a long time now it has been recognised that prevention is better than cure but it hasn t always been possible to show it in monetary terms. The BRE cost calculator now allows this to happen. To conclude, there are a number of lessons that have been learnt and will need to be addressed when the project is extended to other areas. Overall, the PEAL project, from a private sector housing viewpoint has undoubtedly been a short term success. The engagement with private landlords, the move to a self assessment regime, the reduction in service requests and the cost savings are all positive outcomes resulting from the project. However, will it be sustained long term? It is therefore recommended that further assessment and analysis takes place to determine the lasting medium to long term benefits of the project in 5 and 10 years time. Liz Webster Bsc (Hons) PGCE MBA MCIEH North Lincolnshire Council Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 29

34 References 1. Gateway: the housing market renewal pathfinder for Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire Warmzone: area based organisation that deliver effective, targeted help to provide energy efficiency improvements Roys M. Et al The Real Cost of Poor Housing BRE Trust, University of Warwick & University of Brighton 4. Skills 4 Communities: a non-profit organisation which offers support for local businesses, helps people find jobs, engages with tenants from different cultural groups and provides a variety of training opportunities, advice and guidance about housing and employment matters Hull City Council Private Housing Stock Condition Survey (Summary) Available on request from Private Housing, Kenworthy House, Hull. John Bower BSc (Hons) MCIEH Acting PEAL Project Manager: Private Housing 33 Witham Hull HU9 1DB t; e; john.bower@hullcc.gov.uk Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 30

35 Appendices Appendix 1: Private Rented Sector Steering Group: Terms of Reference Appendix 2: Avenues PEAL Intervention Area Appendix 3: Shire Streets PEAL Intervention Area Appendix 4: Initial PEAL Questionnaire Appendix 5: Initial PEAL Questionnaire Results (Avenues) Appendix 6: Initial PEAL Questionnaire Results (Shire Streets) Appendix 7: Review Questionnaire (July 2010) Appendix 8: Review Questionnaire Results & Analysis Appendix 9: Leaflet: Identifying Common Housing Hazards Appendix 10: Tennant Accreditation Leaflet Appendix 11: Partners Focus group Report Appendix 12: Residents Focus group Report Appendix 13: Landlords Focus group Report Proactive Housing and Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) 31

36 Appendix 1: Private Rented Sector Steering Group: Terms of Reference Private Rented Sector Steering Group Implementing PEAL 1 TERMS OF REFERENCE Role and purpose of the group The purpose of the Steering group is to bring together agencies and individuals to address issues relating to the private rented sector, using an evidence based and targeted, strategic approach. To work closely together to monitor the condition of private rented housing in the city, with a view to identifying and taking any action needed to improve management and stock condition, and aid housing renewal. To identify good practice and new initiatives that are mutually beneficial, protecting investments and businesses, as well as promoting a positive image of the private rented sector housing in Hull. Aims: I. To identify and agree robust actions that will direct and enable all agencies to work together on issues relating to the private rented sector II. To work towards enabling all residents in the city to live in safe, secure and decent housing, as part of a healthy community, in an attractive and sustainable environment. III. Contribute to the development and delivery of the Housing Strategy IV. Contribute to the development of the Accreditation Scheme Objectives: I. Disseminate information to other interested parties II. Improve access to advice, information and practical assistance III. Achieve and maintain high standards relating to property and management standards in the private rented sector and housing neighbourhoods IV. Open up access to private rented housing for groups in housing need to ensure the provision of affordable housing choice. V. Effectively tackle Crime, Disorder, ASB, the Misuse of Drugs and Community Safety, within the private rented sector Membership: I. Membership of the Steering Group is not exclusive and is open to all interested parties. II. Core members should include representatives from: 1 Pro-active housing and Environmental Action Locally

37 Humber Landlords Association Gateway Pathfinder Representatives of Area Committees Representatives of Hull Citysafe Anti social behaviour Officer Police Officer or Police Community Safety Officer Fire Service officer HCC Private Sector Housing Team HCC Private Housing (Environmental Health Team) HCC Housing Strategy Tenant/resident representatives/advisors Non core members may include: HCC Housing Benefits Housing Advice providers Hull Warm Zone Community Legal Advice Centre (CLAG) Representatives of other Landlord Associations and Local Authorities Representatives from voluntary and community sectors Chair The Hull PRS Steering Group will be initially chaired for a 12 month period by a Hull City Council Senior Housing Strategy and Appraisals Officer. Vice Chair The Vice Chair will be the Chair of the Humber Landlords Association. Decisions Decisions will usually be by consensus and reported to the Strategic Delivery Partnership of the One Hull Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). If necessary, decisions will be by a simple majority with the chair having the casting vote. Schedule of meetings I. The group will initially meet monthly and then as required. Dates to be timetabled in line with meetings of the One Hull LSP. II. Hull City Council Housing Strategy and Appraisals Section will administer the Steering Group with assistance from a dedicated project team. III. All meetings will produce minutes including key action points, decisions and responsibilities for carrying out identified actions. Sub groups Sub groups may be established to develop specific strategies and initiatives that require more in depth work. The subgroups will report to the PRS Steering group. Agreed at the Private Rented Sector Steering Group: Friday, 06 June 2008

38 Appendix 2: Avenues PEAL Intervention Area

39 Appendix 3: Shire Streets PEAL Intervention Area

40 Appendix 4: Initial PEAL Questionnaire (text version only) Dear resident Hull City Council is working with partners including the Humber Landlord s Association, Gateway, Humberside Police, and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service to improve standards of housing and the environment in the Alliance and De La Pole Area as well as the Shire Streets. The PEAL project will: Offer free home fire safety checks Provide access to community wardens and environmental rangers to tackle litter problems Provide extra resources to tackle anti-social behaviour Target enforcement to improve security to vacant properties Offer help to home owners and landlords who cannot physically or financially maintain their homes Offer private tenants the opportunity to join a new Tenant Passport Scheme Offer landlords the opportunity to join Hull City Council s Accredited Landlord Scheme Encourage property owners to improve the standard of their properties. To help us get a better understanding of the things that are most important to you, we would be grateful if you could complete the following short questionnaire. The details gathered will be used to produce information about the area as a whole, not about any individual. If you would prefer to answer the questions over the telephone, please call and ask for the PEAL Team.. We will let you know the results of this survey and the actions we are taking to address the issues you have raised. The PEAL project will last for several months. During the project Wardens and members of the PEAL Team will visit you to check we are dealing with your concerns and at the end of the project we will ask you to fill in another similar survey to find out how much area has improved. Section 1: Home and neighbourhood 1.1 The following is a list of statements about your home. Please tick the statement that you most agree with. I am happy with my home and the surrounding area I am happy with my home but I wish it was in a different area I like the area but my home is unsuitable I am unhappy with both my home and the surrounding area

41 1.2 The following is a list of statements about the Frontage Improvement Scheme currently being undertaken by Gateway. Please tick the statement that you most agree with. Frontage works make a good impact on the street Frontage works make a reasonable impact on the street Frontage works make no impact on the street Section 2: Availability and affordability of housing 2.1 Do you think that house prices and rent levels in your area are affordable? Please tick one box in each row. House prices in the area Rent levels in the area Very affordable Affordable Not affordable 2.2 Do you think there is enough of the following housing in your area for all members of your household? Please tick one box in each row. Sheltered housing Affordable housing to rent Affordable housing to buy Medium cost housing to buy Medium cost housing to rent Rent to buy housing Other (please state) Adequate Inadequate Unsure 2.3 If you or other members of your household are planning to move over the next five years, where would you/they like to move to? Please tick all of the boxes that apply. Somewhere in this part of Hull, not too far away Outskirts of Hull Somewhere in the East Riding of Yorkshire Somewhere else (please state) Section 3: Council services 3.1 How happy are you with the following? Please tick one box in each row. Using to contact Hull City Council Very happy Happy Unhappy Very unhappy

42 Accessing the council via hullcc.gov.uk The way Hull City Council staff deal with your issues Section 4: Neighbourhood issues 4.1 Are any of the following a problem for you or members of your family? Please tick one box in each row. Rubbish in the street or alleyways Fly-tipping Litter Risk of flooding Vandalism Graffiti Bonfires Poor looking or dilapidated properties Properties open to trespass Empty houses Barking dogs Dog fouling Parking space Traffic Street lighting Condition of pavements Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem 4.2 Are any of the following a problem for you or members of your family? Please tick one box in each row. People using or dealing drugs Intimidation, harassment and verbal abuse Criminal behaviour or burglary to homes Theft or damage to vehicles Abandoned or burnt out cars People being drunk or rowdy Prostitution or soliciting Pets/animals causing a nuisance Children causing a announce Noisy neighbours Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem Section 5: Community issues 5.1 Are any of the following a problem for you or members of your family? Please tick one box in each row.

43 Public transport Shopping facilities Access to safe play areas Access to your doctor Access to good primary schools Access to good secondary schools Access to jobs Access to training Child care Feeling safe in your own home Feeling safe in your area Facilities for disabled people Facilities for young people Facilities for older people Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem Section 6: Promoting well-being and good health 6.1 Are any of the following a problem for you or members of your family? Please tick one box in each row. Difficulty with stairs Preparing meals Keeping warm in winter Looking after the garden Keeping in touch with friends Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem 6.2 Please tick one box in each row. Are you or other members of your household planning to move over the next five years because you may require sheltered or specialist housing? If you are planning to move because you require sheltered or specialist housing, would you prefer alterations to be made to your existing home? Yes No Don t Know 6.3 Are there any other issues you would like to raise?

44 Section 7: Resident involvement and consultation 7.1 Do you agree with the following statements? Please tick one box in each row. Residents should be kept informed of what is going on Residents should have a say in council decisions about housing and community services I would like to attend Neighbourhood Forums to discuss local issues I would be willing to be actively involved with the Area Team to improve the area Yes No Don t Know Section 8: Your household The information you provide here will be kept strictly confidential as governed by the Data Protection Act You do not have to fill in this section but it will be very helpful if you do. This will help us to ensure that no groups are unfairly treated, and help us identify any groups who are less satisfied than average with the area or services in the area. 8.1 In which of these ways does your household occupy your current accommodation? Please tick one box. Owned outright Buying on mortgage Rented from Hull City Council Rented from Housing Association/Trust Rented from private landlord Other (please state) 8.2 How many children aged 17 or under are living here? Please tick one box. None One Two Three Four More than Four 8.3 How many adults aged 18 or over are living here? Please tick one box. None One Two Three Four More than Four

45 8.3 To which of these groups do you consider you belong to? White British Irish Any other white background (Specify) Mixed White and Black Caribbean White and Black African White and Asian Other mixed background (Specify) Black or Black British Caribbean African Any other black background (Specify) Asian or Asian British Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Any other Asian background (Specify) Chinese and other ethnic groups Chinese Other ethnic group (Specify) 8.4 Please tick the appropriate box. Yes No Don t Know Do you consider yourself to have a disability? If you answered yes - what is the nature of your disability? Thank you for taking part in this survey. Please return it as requested in the freepost envelope provided, or return it to

46 If you would like to report or discuss any issues, or if you would like to know the meeting dates of your local Area Team, please complete your details below. Name Address Telephone No: I would like to report/discuss local issues I would like meeting dates of the Area Team

47 Appendix 5: Initial PEAL Questionnaire Results (Avenues) 98 questionnaires received Satisfaction with home and area Percentage I am happy with my home and the surrounding area 54.1% I am happy with my home but I wish it was in a different area 30.6% I like the area but my home is unsuitable 4.1% I am unhappy with both my home and the surrounding area 5.1% Satisfaction with Frontage improvement scheme by Gateway Percentage Frontage works make a good impact on the street 83.7% Frontage works make a reasonable impact on the street 9.2% Frontage works make no impact on the street 1.02% Section 2 The majority of people believe that house prices (69.4%) and rents (50.0%) are affordable, (15.3% very affordable house prices and 4.1% very affordable rent) only 11.2% believe rent levels in the area are not affordable, and 9.2% believe house prices are not affordable. Types of housing, People thought there were adequate types of affordable housing to buy (66.3%) and rent (38.78%) in their area for all members of their household. However, 18.4% of respondents thought sheltered accommodation was inadequate and 54.1% were unsure. 35.7% of respondents said that they were planning to move somewhere in this part of Hull, not too far away, 19.4% outskirts of Hull and 11.2% somewhere in the East Riding, 9 respondents mentioned that they would prefer to move somewhere else, mostly abroad. Section 3 When using the number to contact HCC, 24.5% were very happy and 63.3% happy, however 7.1% were unhappy with the contact number. Only 7.15% of respondents were unhappy or very unhappy with the way HCC dealt with their issues. Section 4 problems for respondents or their families. The most serious problem perceived by people was Parking Space, with 45.9% stating this was a serious problem and 37.8% a bit of a problem. After this was Dog Fouling, with 41.8% stating it was a serious problem and 39.8% a bit of a problem. Next came Risk of Flooding (37.8%), Conditions of pavements (24.5%) and Poor looking, or dilapidated properties (22.4%).

48 Behavioural problems were Theft or damage to vehicles 21.4% found it a serious problem and 40.8% a bit of a problem. People being drunk or rowdy (12.2% serious problem and 31.6% bit of a problem), Criminal Behaviour/Burglary 50.0% as a bit of or a serious problem and Children causing an annoyance (46.9% bit of, and a serious problem). Section 5 The majority of people saw access to public transport (84.7%) and shopping facilities (73.5%) to not be a problem. Access to doctors (79.6%), good primary schools (73.5%) and good secondary schools (58.2%) as not a problem; though that left 10.2% seeing access to good secondary schools as a bit of or a serious problem. Access to jobs and training were seen as more of a problem 35.7% found access to jobs either a bit of or a serious problem and 28.6% for training. Feeling safe Feeling safe in your own home Feeling safe in your area Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem 68.4% 21.4% 3.1% 37.8% 49.0% 5.1% More people felt safer in their home than they did in the area. Facilities Facilities for disabled people Facilities for young people Facilities for older people Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem 44.9% 33.7% 6.1% 34.7% 35.7% 13.3% 39.8% 33.7% 11.2% Respondents felt that facilities for disabled, young and older people were either a bit of or a serious problem, with facilities for young people (49.0%) being seen as the most problem. Section 6 The majority of people did not have a problem with stairs or preparing a meal, though a significant minority of 30.6% had a bit of or a serious problem with stairs. 27.6% found keeping warm in winter a bit of or a serious problem though most people said that looking after the garden was not a problem (72.4%) 13.3% saw it as a bit of a problem and 10.2% as a serious problem. Keeping in touch with friends was a bit of a problem for 4.1% and a serious problem for 1.0%. Only 2.0% said that either they or a family member would need/want to move to sheltered/specialist accommodation in the next 5 years, with 21.4% saying they didn t know. 13.3% said that they would prefer alterations to be made to their home (though not all of these had answered Yes to the above question).

49 6.3 Other issues to be raised. There were 14 responses here which are recorded in the table below. Lack of attention to keeping storm drains clear West Park badly vandalised. No safe place for children to play The Gateway Improvement Scheme is excellent! The land to the rear of Alliance Ave needs to be sorted. Would make good parking facilities & garden area Parking issues. Land at 31 DLA dumping ground - what is happening with it Rubbish left in alleyway, struggles to open gate. Dogs fouling. Not enough parking areas or play areas No play facilities for children Land to the rear been let to Gateway. Overlooking building site, wants trees to be replanted Heating, lack of double glazing, condensation, rising damp, draughts. We are in a parking zone but find that on match day at the KC cars are still parking and not displaying a parking permit and traffic wardens are not seen regularly. Parking difficulties for disabled people Decorating Parking and Barking Dogs are a big problem Serious Damp caused by adjoining dilapidated/empty house - owner does not seem to be doing anything about it. This is causing problems to my own property Parking restrictions not enforced We are on Council list for housing who are joint with church housing as I have COPD. But I am very capable to do things but I can look after myself as well, I m very healthy but some days I am tired etc. As per previous answers, the condition of the pavements and littering are now the 2 main issues on De La Pole Avenue in my opinion Lack of safe nearby play areas where children can go unsupervised to play There are areas of double yellow lines that acted as parking places when the streets were 2 way, these now simply waste parking spaces. These need to be removed. I think it would be a great idea if there was camera's put up as we would like to catch those people that keep on letting their dogs foul in and out of our front ways Ten foot has been gated. On occasions gates are left unlocked by residents. Wheelie bins left out. Dogs fouling. I would like Alliance Lane which runs from Alliance Avenue to Parkfield Drive to be swept out each week. One or two people let their dogs foul the pavement and don't clean it up. Youths drink near the lamppost and leave their bottles behind. Last year we had constant trouble with youths pulling the wooden fence down on the 109 side of the lane. On the 205 side from Alliance Avenue my sister in law had to pay for the green iron fence which separates her garden from the lane. After all it is a thorough fare and I would imagine the corporation's responsibility if traffic passes down it. Double yellow lines unnecessary Whilst agreeing the refurbishment will greatly improve the appearance of the area, I strongly feel that landlords should show more responsibility for properties they let. It seems to me if you pay your money no further interest is taken and frontages and gardens can be used as dumping grounds or left to run riot causing problems for other residents. I feel that the funds for private tenants to adapt their home for such as my father who muscular dystrophy and so does my uncle but my uncle owns his own house. So was able to get an adaptation to his house for his needs for free but they wont help us and we need it more.

50 Section 7 Do you agree with the following statements Residents should be kept informed of what is going on? Yes No Don't Know 90.0% 1.0% 1.0% Yes No Don't Know 0.0% 90.0% 1.0% 1.0% 0.0% Resident should have a say in council decisions about housing and community services Yes No Don't Know % 11.2% I would like to attend neighbourhood forums to discuss local issues Yes No Don't Know 32.7% 41.8% 21.4% I would be willing to be actively involved with the Area Team to improve the area Yes No Don't Know 21.4% 53.1% 23.5% Section 8 The majority of respondents were owner occupiers (82.7%), with 36.7% owning their property outright, only 4.1% rented from a Housing Association, with the remainder 12.2% renting privately. Only 31.6% of respondents said that they had children, with 14.3% with one child, 12.2% with two and 0% with three, 4.1% with 4 children and 1% with more than four. 25.5% of respondents were single adults, with 54.1% stating there were two in their household, 15.3% had three and 2.0% had four adults. 92.9% of respondents were White British, with 1.0% White Irish and 1.0% other White (Polish), 1.0% (e.g. 1 person) was White/Asian. Most respondents did not have a disability, though 32.7% (32 people) did, of these, disabilities ranged from heart disease, deafness, epilepsy, arthritis, Parkinson s etc. Getting involved 10.2% of respondents said they would be interested in reporting/discussing local issues (i.e. 10 people) and 22.4% (22 people) would be interested in the meeting dates of the Area Team.

51 Appendix 6: Initial PEAL Questionnaire Results (Shire Streets) 123 questionnaires returned 1.1 Satisfaction with home and area Percentage I am happy with my home and the surrounding area 22.0% I am happy with my home but I wish it was in a different area 53.7% I like the area but my home is unsuitable 9.8% I am unhappy with both my home and the surrounding area 9.8% 2.1 The majority of people believe that house prices (60.2%) and rents (48.8) are affordable, (12.2% very affordable house prices and 6.5% very affordable rent) however, 24.4% believe rent levels in the area are not affordable. 2.2 Types of housing, People thought there were adequate types of affordable housing to buy (48.8%) and rent (49.6%) in their area for all members of their household. However, 18.7% of respondents thought sheltered accommodation was inadequate and 59.3% were unsure % of respondents said that they were planning to move somewhere in this part of Hull, not too far away, 20.3% outskirts of Hull and 26.8% somewhere in the East Riding, 11 respondents mentioned that they would prefer to move somewhere else including East Hull, Hessle, Leeds, Gilberdyke, the South Coast and New Zealand. 3.1 When using the number to contact HCC, 25.2% were very happy and 56.9% happy, however 17.1% were unhappy or very unhappy with the contact number. 29.3% of respondents were unhappy or very unhappy with the way HCC dealt with their issues. Section 4 problems for respondents or their families. The most serious problem perceived by people was Rubbish in the street or alleyway, with 52.0% stating this was a serious problem and 39.8% a bit of a problem, only 4.9% said it was not a problem. After this was Fly Tipping, with 46.3% stating it was a serious problem and 34.1% a bit of a problem. Next came litter (41.5%), Empty Houses (43.1%) and Dog Fouling (39.80), poor looking or dilapidated properties (34%) (these figures for serious problem). Behavioural problems were People using or dealing drugs 25.2% found it a serious problem and 33.3% a bit of a problem. Burglary (56.1% bit of, and serious problem) and Theft from vehicles (56.1% bit of, and a serious problem) and 56.1% saw people being drunk as a bit of or a serious problem.

52 Section 5 The majority of people saw access to public transport (89.4%) and shopping facilities (88.6%) to not be a problem. Access to doctors (80.5%), good primary schools (68.3%) and good secondary schools (57.7%) as not a problem; though that left 24.4% seeing access to good secondary schools as a bit of or a serious problem. Access to jobs and training were seen as more of a problem 46.3% found access to jobs either a bit of or a serious problem and 37.4% for training. Feeling safe Feeling safe in your own home Feeling safe in your area Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem 53.7% 35.8% 8.1% 32.5% 48.0% 17.1% More people felt safer in their home than they did in the area. Facilities Facilities for disabled people Facilities for young people Facilities for older people Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem Not a problem Bit of a problem Serious problem 38.2% 25.2% 14.6% 22.0% 30.1% 28.5% 30.9% 30.1% 19.5% Respondents felt that facilities for disabled, young and older people were either a bit of or a serious problem, with facilities for young people (58.5%) being seen as the most problem. Section 6 The majority of people did not have a problem with stairs or preparing a meal, though a significant minority of 17.9% had a bit of or a serious problem with stairs. 42.3% found keeping warm in winter a bit of or a serious problem though most people said that looking after the garden was not a problem (77.2%) 10.6% saw it as a bit of a problem and 3.3% as a serious problem. Keeping in touch with friends was a bit of a problem for 7.3% and a serious problem for 3.3%. Only 11.4% said that either they or a family member would need/want to move to sheltered/specialist accommodation in the next 5 years, with 18.7% saying they didn t know. 10.6% said that they would prefer alterations to be made to their home (though not all of these had answered Yes to the above question). 6.3 Other issues to be raised. There were 27 responses here which are recorded in the table below.

53 There are over 40 houses down our street, if each house owns one car there still isn't enough parking. I am sick of getting parking tickets down my own street!! The awful tenants that live across from me, always causing trouble, resulting in several visits from the police and an arrest - not nice to have to listen to whilst in bed! Problem with back alley, think it could be private landlords. As Anlaby Road areas have new front wall and gates, are we getting funding to improve streets and surrounding areas? The fact that we can't seem to get anywhere on the Council list. My house is private rented and has some serious repairs but nothing gets done, it is damp with green fungus growing in the room me and my daughter sleep in, she is three months old. Me and my fiancé living with other people. We'll live separately but prices to rent a 1 bed flat are too high for us. We haven't a car and living where we're living is too far from the city. Gangs of youths roaming the area at night, also intimidation by drinkers & smokers outside the two public houses in the area & the rubbish they leave behind, cig ends, glasses, bottles etc. Back ten foots need repair, drains need sorting, fly tipping is a problem Secure gates for all passages would help stop fly tipping, unruly children and crime Private landlords not vetting tenants - ASB issues Parking issues - work vans taking up parking spaces Noisy neighbours. Requires info on grants available In rented accommodation unsafe Trouble with youths, litter from taxi office and parking problems with taxis I think more CCTV cameras should be installed in my area. Also more police patrols would be required. I would like so that police would have more opportunities to deal with e.g. noisy neighbourhood. Other issues are alcohol on the streets, damage of vehicles and drunk teenagers. Nobody does anything to help honest hard-working people - training in work hours - how can somebody better themselves if training is when they are at work or only available to unemployed - why do areas that don t seem as bad as the Shire Streets get new walls/roof/gates etc. Does this area have to get like Woodcock Street before something is done. A lot of things are poor/bad in these streets, some serious work/investment is needed sooner rather than later. I am concerned over the ratio of rented properties to owner-occupied. We spent money in having the passages gated but most people have moved so keys have been lost, so the gate is now just bolted. Kids still often run across the flat roofs of the houses, so they must be gaining access somehow. Care of rented properties is not always good. Community Wardens total waste of money, I saw two wardens watching two boys aged about 12 vandalising, they looked at them then turned around and walked off. All they are glorified litter removers, or just walk the streets chatting oblivious to what's going on around them. Houses need tidying up in order to make the area more appealing. Too much rented accommodation brings my neighbourhood down. Stop kids playing football in the street!! Stop kids causing damage to cars and property. 1. Yes there was a problem with boys approx yrs old throwing stones at windows (there was no problem until a foreign boy moved into the street who seems to be the ringleader. 2. The back alley gate has now been completely broken off, my partner used to keep all this in tiptop condition (he died 1 yr ago). I did repair the gate once, now the tenfoot is piling up with fly tipping. 3. The cut-through to the tenfoots have large holes with pools of water after rain. Landlords need to keep regular checks on tenants and house conditions. Tenfoots that run along the bottom of the Shire Streets need gating as there is a lot of rubbish being dumped down them. I like to live in a property that is affordable and the building properly double glazed and made more insulated, the one I live in is old double glazing and the front and back doors are so draughty. I am unable to wheel my wheelie bin to my back yard due to the rubbish dumped in the alleyway (e.g. mattresses and furniture). I have complained to the Council but they say they can only issue letters as the alley is classed as private property. If there was a fire and the back my only exit I wouldn't be able to get out of my gate as it is blocked with other people's rubbish Caravan which has been parked on Hereford Street since July 08. Myself and neighbours have made numerous calls to council but still nothing has been done

54 Section 7 Do you agree with the following statements Residents should be kept informed of what is going on? Yes No Don't Know 96.7% 0.0% 0.0% Yes No Don't Know 0.0% 96.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Resident should have a say in council decisions about housing and community services Yes No Don't Know 86.2% 2.4% 7.3% I would like to attend neighbourhood forums to discuss local issues Yes No Don't Know 30.1% 32.5% 29.3% I would be willing to be actively involved with the Area Team to improve the area Yes No Don't Know 17.9% 33.3% 39.8% Section The majority of residents were owner occupiers (61.0%), with 27.6% owning their property outright, only 0.8% rented from a Housing Association, with the remainder 32.5% renting privately. Only 29.3% of respondents said that they had children, with 16.3% with one child, 8.9% with two and 4.1% with three, no respondent had more than three children. 45.5% of respondents were single adults, with 39.0% stating there were two in their household, 9.8% had three and 3.3% had four adults. 94.3% of respondents were White British, with 3.3% other White (three people of whom two said they were Polish), 0.8% (e.g. 1 person) was African. Most respondents did not have a disability, though 19.5% (24 people) did, of these, disabilities ranged from heart disease, deafness, epilepsy etc. Getting involved 13.8% of respondents said they would be interested in reporting/discussing local issues (i.e. 17 people) and 23.6% (29 people) would be interested in the meeting dates of the Area Team.

55 Appendix 7: Review Questionnaire (July 2010) Proactive Housing & Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) Dear Resident, Over the last 18 months Hull City Council has been working in partnership with Skills 4 Communities, Gateway, the Humber Landlord s Association, Humberside Police, and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service to improve standards of housing and the environment in the Alliance, De La Pole, and Shire Streets areas. The Proactive Housing & Environmental Action Locally (PEAL) Project has: offered free home fire safety checks offered help to home owners and landlords who cannot physically or financially maintain their homes provided the opportunity to discuss Hull City Council s Accredited Tenants and Accredited Landlords Schemes that will help to improve the quality of houses and the relationships between tenant and landlord encouraged property owners to improve the standard of their properties. We want to find out how successful we have been in improving your local area. At the start of the project we asked for your opinions and 85% of you were happy with your homes, 15% of you were not 45% of you were happy with the local area, 55% of you were not. Has the PEAL project made any difference to how you feel about the area? We also want to hear about what happened when you reported housing problems to the council and whether we could have done better. This will help us improve what we do about problems like yours in future. We ll also ask you some questions about your household. You don t have to complete this section. Finally, there s a space for you to add your personal details and express an interest in being involved with the council in future. This will be kept separate from your survey responses. This survey can be completed online at: If you would like to share ideas with your neighbours or add anything we haven t already covered please visit Please return your survey to us in the enclosed envelope by 30 th July 2010

56 1.1. In which area do you live? Please tick one statement Shire Streets Alliance Avenue De La Pole Avenue 1.2. The following is a list of statements about your home. Please tick the two statements you most agree with I am happy with my home I am happy with the surrounding area I am unhappy with my home I am unhappy with the surrounding area 1.3. The following is a list of statements about your home. Please tick the two statements you most agree with I feel safe in my home I feel safe in the surrounding area I do not feel safe in my home I do not feel safe in the surrounding area 1.4. The following is a list of possible problems. Please tick all the statements you think are a problem where you live Criminal activity such as burglary Pets or animals causing nuisance Noisy neighbours Rubbish in streets or alleyways Fly tipping Vandalism Poor looking or dilapidated buildings Properties open to trespass Empty houses Litter Graffiti Barking dogs Dog fouling Are there any other problems that affect your home or the surrounding area? Please write below

57 The Frontage Improvement Scheme improved the outside of properties along Alliance and De la Pole Avenues to make them, and the area, nicer places to live. Please tick the one statement you most agree with Frontage works have made a positive impact on the street Frontage works have made no difference to the street Frontage works have had a negative impact on the street I don t know whether they have had any impact on the street 1.5. In the last 18 months have you been contacted about a housing issue? Please tick the one statement that applies Yes, by Hull City Council Yes, by my landlord Yes, by both Hull City Council and my landlord No (please go to section 2) 1.6. Who initiated the contact? Please tick the one statement that applies I, or a member of my household, did Hull City Council My landlord 1.7. Please could you describe the incident? Please write below 1.8. How would you rate the response of a) Hull City Council b) Your landlord Please tick one statement in each column Good Neither good nor bad Bad a b

58 1.9. How do you feel about the outcome of the situation? Please tick the one statement that applies Happy Neither happy nor unhappy Unhappy If you had the same problem in the future, what would you like Hull City Council or your landlord to repeat? Please write below If you have any similar problems in future, what would you like Hull City Council or your landlord to do differently? Please write below Would you like to make any other comments or suggestions about the PEAL project? Please write below

59 Section 2: Your Household. To understand the answers we receive from this questionnaire, we would like to ask a few more questions. These questions will aid us in exploring the views expressed by different groups of people and will help to ensure we deliver all our services fairly. You do not have to answer them but if you do, the information you provide will be kept confidential and will be stored securely for the purposes it was gathered in keeping with the requirements of the Data Protection Act (1998). If you would prefer that Skills4Communities or Hull City Council do not link your responses to you personally then please indicate this in the space provided at the end. At the end of the about you section there will be space for you to tell us anything else about yourself that you feel may be important Does your household own or rent the accommodation you live in? Please tick the one statement that applies Owns outright (go to question 2.3) Owns with a mortgage or loan (go to question 2.3) Pays rent and part mortgage (shared ownership) (go to question 2.3) Rents (go to question 2.2) Lives here rent free (go to question 2.2) 2.2. If you rent the house or live rent free, who is your landlord? Please tick the one statement that applies Council (Local Authority) Housing Association, Housing Co-operative or Charitable Trust Registered Social Landlord Private landlord or letting agency Employer of a household member Relative or friend of a household member Other If you have other circumstances, please write them below: 2.3. How many people live in your household? Please write the number in the spaces provided Children Adults

60 2.4. How long have you been living at your current address? Please write the number in the spaces provided Years Months 2.5. What is your postcode? This will help us to understand if people who live in your area have different views to people who live in other areas of the city. Please write below 2.6. What is your gender identity? Please tick one box Male Female 2.7. If you are transgender and wish to tell us please tick this box 2.8. What is your month and year of birth? Please write the month and year below (mm/yyyy) 2.9. Are your day-to-day activities limited because of a health problem or an impairment which has lasted, or is expected to last at least 12 months? Please tick the one statement that applies (Please also include conditions such as mental health issues or problems related to ageing) Yes, limited a little Yes, limited a lot No Which of the following best describes your ethnic background? Please choose one section and then tick the one statement that applies White English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British Irish Gypsy or Irish Traveller Any other white background Asian/Asian British Bangladeshi Chinese Indian Pakistani

61 (please specify in the space below) Black or Black British African Caribbean Any other black background (please specify in the space below) Arab or Other Ethnic Group Arab Any other ethnic group (please specify in the space below) Any other Asian background (please specify in the space below) Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Groups White and Asian White and Black African White and Black Caribbean Any other mixed background (please specify in the space below) Please specify other ethnic background below Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself? Some examples of things that other people have told us about are their country of birth or their religion. Please use the space below. Hull City Council would like you to help shape your services and involve you in the decisions about the role of PEAL in future. If you would like to be involved please leave your contact details below so that we can contact you again. This information will be treated separately from your survey responses Name Preferred contact method (please tick the one statement that applies) Post Telephone

62 Address Telephone Number Mobile Number Postcode address We are hoping to run a few sessions for people to come together and discuss their experience of the last 18 months and their perception of the PEAL project. Does this sound like something you would want to be involved with? I would like to attend a focus group to discuss the PEAL project and give my opinion about how it has worked You can help improve your neighbourhood by getting involved with your local Area Team. They work closely with the council s partners and community and voluntary groups to address the priorities of you and your neighbours. I would like further information about my local Area Teams and their meetings We want there to be an independent entity which can help to provide guidance, and feedback, on how we deliver our services to the public. Other areas of the council have these Service Improvement Groups and would like to extend this opportunity to you too. I would like further information about joining the Service Improvement Group You can also get involved with the Hull People s Panel. It consists of over 5,000 local people, from 16 years old upwards, from across the city and from all different backgrounds. We want even more people to become members and tell us what they want and how they want Hull to be. I would like further information about joining the Hull People s Panel

63 Appendix 8: Review Questionnaire Results & Analysis PEAL Project Consultation: August 2010 We distributed approximately 1155 surveys and received 133 responses. This is in contrast with the 223 responses recorded in the initial survey. Avenues Shire Streets 56 42% 77 58% 78% of these properties belonged to owner occupiers with 1 in 5 responses coming from a privately rented household. In fact, only 3 privately rented householders responded from the Avenues. In the Shire Streets the rented sector accounted for 25 properties (33%). Avenues Shire Streets Total Owner Occupiers 52 95% 51 67% % Privately rented 3 5% 25 33% 28 22% The previous survey had a greater response from the privately rented sector comprising 26% (16% of respondents from the Avenues and 36% from the Shire Streets). A year ago we asked residents about where they lived to gauge their happiness with both the area, and their homes. Despite the efforts of the PEAL project there has been almost no change. Avenues 2009 Shire Streets 2009 Total 2009 Happy with Home 53 95% 90% 63 82% 80% % 85% Unhappy with Home 3 5% 10% 14 18% 20% 17 13% 15% Happy with Area 34 61% 62% 26 34% 32% 60 45% 45% Unhappy with Area 22 39% 38% 51 66% 68% 73 55% 55% As we revisited this survey we also asked respondents about how safe they felt in the home and in the local area. Although a significant majority of responses stated that they felt safe in their homes, 1 in 2 respondents was concerned about their safety in the surrounding area. Avenues Shire Streets Total Safe at home 53 95% 63 82% % Unsafe at home 3 5% 14 18% 17 13% Safe in the area 36 64% 31 40% 67 50% Unsafe in the area 20 36% 46 60% 66 50% Whilst these headline figures appear to be unchanged there is evidence of real progress with regards 13 areas of particular relevance to the Private Housing team s contribution to the PEAL project. Residents were asked to identify whether or not particular issues were a problem where they lived so that we could compare their responses to the questions we had

64 asked in The top five issues facing residents at the time of the first survey were: 1 Rubbish in streets or alleyways - 86% 2 Litter - 83% 3 Dog fouling - 81% 4 Poor looking or dilapidated buildings - 70% 5 Fly tipping - 68% 12 months later and four of the five remain: 1= (1) Rubbish in streets or alleyways - 68% 1= (3) Dog fouling - 68% 3 (2) Litter - 58% 4 (NE Criminal behaviour - 45% 5= (NE) Barking dogs - 39% 5= (NE) Noisy neighbours - 39% 5= (5) Fly tipping - 39% What is immediately clear is the reduction that has taken place in the proportion of residents registering these issues as problems. Whilst the disposal of rubbish and the ownership of dogs continues to prove problematic in this part of the city there is a double digit reduction in the regularity with which this was commented upon. Furthermore, the survey demonstrates a 47% reduction in concerns about poor looking and dilapidated buildings. This is particularly striking in the Avenues area where only 9% of responses saw it as an issue against 64% last year. There are other statistically significant successes with a 43% reduction in vandalism, a 32% reduction in the scale of concern over empty houses, a 32% reduction in graffiti and a 29% reduction in issues related to properties open to trespass. Despite finding themselves as new entrants into the Top 5 areas for concern, barking dogs (-5%) and noisy neighbours (+7%) are only registering a 2% increase overall. The other new entrant, criminal behaviour, was actually 20% less than its previous levels. Avenues 2009 Shire Streets 2009 Total 2009 Difference Barking dogs 19 34% 38% 33 43% 50% 52 39% 44% -5% Criminal behaviour 22 39% 59% 38 49% 71% 60 45% 65% -20% Dog fouling 41 73% 82% 50 65% 80% 91 68% 81% -13% Empty houses 7 13% 38% 17 22% 60% 24 18% 50% -32% Fly tipping 7 13% 52% 45 58% 81% 52 39% 68% -29% Graffiti 4 7% 43% 14 18% 48% 18 14% 46% -32% Litter 28 50% 83% 49 64% 82% 77 58% 83% -25% Noisy neighbours 15 27% 28% 37 48% 35% 52 39% 32% +7% Nuisance animals 16 29% 37% 25 32% 44% 30 23% 41% -18% Dilapidated buildings 5 9% 64% 26 34% 75% 31 23% 70% -47% Properties open to trespass 4 7% 33% 16 21% 54% 20 15% 44% -29% Rubbish in streets or alleyways 25 45% 78% 65 84% 92% 90 68% 86% -18% Vandalism 7 13% 58% 25 32% 74% 32 24% 67% -43% Anything else 20 36% % % - -

65 In terms of identifying future priorities these findings flag up the disparity between the Avenues and the Shire Streets. The most pressing concern for residents in the Avenues is dog fouling, a topic that affects 73% of residents whilst litter and rubbish in streets or alleyways also features prominently. For those who live in the Shire Streets the question of rubbish in streets or alleyways is seen to be a problem by 84% of residents but so too is the need to get a handle on dog fouling. We can observe that in terms of the fabric of properties and the way in which empty and dilapidated houses have been handled there is greater satisfaction now than there was previously. The questions which remain are linked directly to the residents of both these areas and their attitude towards the cleanliness of their local environment with regards to rubbish and faeces. Quite a lot of progress has been made in a fairly short time period but these issues continue to remain problematic for a significant number of people. Part of this change has to be down to the impact of frontage works on Alliance and De La Pole Avenues. 88% of responses from those living on those streets reported that there had been a positive impact as a result of the frontage works with the remaining 9% felt that there had been no change and the remaining 4% didn t know either way. Sadly the survey did not provide good data in terms of how we might improve the processes attached to the PEAL project. 80% of people bypassed the question asking if they had had any housing related issues in the preceding 18 months. Of that 20%, almost half of the contact had been initiated by a householder whilst 58% of the time the first move had been made by Hull City Council. None of the 10 residents who were living in privately rented accommodation had been contacted by their landlord proactively. The comments left by citizens in the subsequent free text boxes did not address the needs of the survey in identifying the ways in which the PEAL project could be improved. It did highlight some areas where there was dissatisfaction at the way certain parts of the council had handled previous complaints but these were mostly from owner occupiers. Nevertheless the free text comments make for useful reading and should inform future service delivery. They are attached at Appendix 1. With such a small sample size (23) it is perhaps unhelpful to draw conclusions from their feelings towards the council. Nevertheless, 65% of people rated the council s response as Good, with 22% suggesting otherwise. For landlords those figures were 27% and 36% suggesting that we are outperforming landlords. In terms of outcomes, 43% of people were happy, and the same amount weren t. Free text responses What are the problems in the area? Homes along the street, visitors day and night shouting, foul language, arguing, cars speeding All the Shire Street pavements have been done with asphalt except the east side of Gloucester Street. My wife has tripped up four times breaking her left wrist each time. I have been trying for twenty five years to get it done but in vain. So please come and look for yourselves Disrespectful neighbours. Too many houses are rented properties. Empty houses are left to rot.

66 Front of empty/occupied homes have rubbish/weeds tenants of private landlords dumping their rubbish in the alleyways Where to park your car Neighbours very noisy, dogs always bark (day and night) smoking drugs in view of my children, dumping rubbish down back alley Noisy people early hours of the morning leaving pubs and clubs singing shouting etc Ball kicking onto windows and doors and alley gates Our tenfoot is private and we were told by the council years ago that the wall was a boundary wall. It has been breached and people climb over to play in the tenfoot. After the excellent work of the council putting gates on the tenfoot there are residents who refuse to close the gates after they have used them. This defeats the object. Anyone can come in and this makes our properties vulnerable. Some residents have mopeds which are a target for theft, other residents have little children who play in the tenfoot which is safe when the gates are closed Drug dealing down Alliance Lane. Dog walker down Alliance Lane who put dog mess in bags and then throws the bags down our alleyway or leaves them on the road. More dog bins are needed in the area Youths on street corners - antisocial behaviour Drug dealing at # Alliance Avenue Parking Theft from cars and damage to vehicles, we have had our car damaged 4 times in less than 6 months Drugs and gangs of youths hanging around I hope you don't mind my writing this but my concerns are that # is the main cause of noise, rubbish, glass, the shouting at all hours. We work, we rent a nice home, we own a nice care but you worry whether there will be scratches on it, which by the way has happened. My husband got woken up by a gang of youths trying to smash his driver window with his foot. I've had plants stolen, baskets. To be honest our house sticks out like a sore thumb because we look after it. I'm 4 doors down from #, now he does rooms for workmen and prostitutes we really don't want it. Kids don't need to see it on a sunny afternoon. My grandchildren who are 6 and 11 found a needle while playing out. I have found human poo with a sock they used at the back of the pub I have to take my wheelie bins down. You don't see kids out on the front they have to stay indoors. I'm sorry to moan but it's awful. Your cleaning men come twice a week to clean up rubbish to make the street look lovely and it does but give it an hour and its back to its old state again. Thank you Pavements need repairing Fly tipping between Gloucester and Hampshire Streets Litter especially after rubbish collection Parking on double yellow lines especially top of Hampshire St/Hessle High Road (outside Dove House) making pulling out very difficult, also bushes/trees in intersections making visibility bad on the road People dumping in the back passage and kicking the gates open Yes no gate on tenfoot people fly tipping and breaking into gardens stealing. Also stealing at front. I would be very happy to pay my share for gates on the tenfoot Yes some people are not very friendly, it does not cost anything to say good morning People who are drug dealing Parking - due to lots of work vans and people with more than 1 car I can't park near to our home Car crime and loitering youths Vehicles tearing down back tenfoot day and night need to be gated Can't use back way People in Hereford Street that back onto us having loud music and being very vocal Parking Smoking of Cannabis in the Street by some of the residents The smell of drugs in some of the surrounding streets, being smoked on street corners Parents do not look after their children so they stay outdoors to late night hours (eg 11pm) Late night revellers keep breaking wing mirrors on car Late night intruders have been back down Devon Street twice and pinched lead off roofs including mine The # shop at top of Sunningdale Road and Devon St is a real eyesore and brings the look of the community down so cant sell our houses the state of the Shire Streets - rubbish dumped all over & antisocial behaviour

67 Need gates on tenfoots Yes, fly tipping in the communal alley that connects back yards. I currently can't get out of my backyard as it is blocked by junk/rubbish. I phoned the council but they are unable to help due to the passage being private property. I feel at a loss as to what to do. Furthermore, I have a close friend who travels from Huddersfield to visit me. She is disabled and confined to an electric wheelchair. On Saturday 3rd July 2010 she came to visit me. it was only when I went to open my back gate to allow her access to the property did I discover that somebody had fly tipped/piled rubbish outside of my gate. My friend was therefore unable to access my home and unable to stay over as planned. She returned to Huddersfield after we had been forced to spend the day in town. Following the advice of a community support officer I contacted the council on Monday 5th July 2010, I was informed that unfortunately they are unable to move the rubbish as the alleyway/passage is private communal property. I now feel at a loss as to what to do. I feel that if I move the rubbish I will be condoning the behaviour of others and it will happen again. I also feel that it is not my responsibility to do this. I feel unable to approach my neighbours about this as they do not appear to be particularly friendly and I do not wish to cause a dispute. Drug dealing at rented property The street needs cleaning manually after the refresh of walls etc...still dust and sand deposits all over makes the street look worst than ever and transfers onto carpets Rodents coming from empty birds eye site and from unused allotments People not caring about their houses (the fronts) makes the street look untidy and dilapidated. Mostly rented properties More bins needed The house virtually opposite me is an eyesore, boarded up window/overgrown garden. It attracts kids to mess about is empty and will not rent looking the way it does. Makes our terrace look messy and uncared for. Struggle to park Lack of care for the area as most properties in the street are rented - very few owner/occupiers Loud music from houses The people who are put in these homes should be vetted thoroughly Council not come clean street Cars trashed Landlords and their agents putting trash into their flats either drunk or high on drugs. # is one of the agents doing this. Please could you describe the incident where you contacted the council? Reported next door neighbour's garden, which is very overgrown for the past 5 years. Landlord has done nothing, council cleared Garden overgrown, smelly, boundary fence in disrepair No where for children to play football done damage to cars, sat dishes, windows, cover over and flow pipe. I reported this many times - children have to play. Riley field not going to be used for sometime - open small gate, cut an area of grass ready for the 6 weeks hols I reported fly tipping to HCC. Mr # (Witham) not interested. East Riding CC finally put rat traps down our alleyways. East Riding cleaned after 18 months. I clean alleyways and clear rubbish left by neighbours I contacted HCC because after the floods, or secondary floods we still have damp from next door # Alliance. The insurance company are dragging their feet over the problem. We also cannot get in touch with the builders who did the works. They are called # and we asked for advice from the council I asked if I could have my garden concreted and was told that I could only have my path done. I already had pebbles in my garden because I couldn't afford to concrete it. I asked a couple of times and was turned down both my neighbours had concreted gardens they were OK but they redid them. One of my neighbours had hers done and when I told the council they just said that it shouldn't have been done even though the first time they did it there was nothing wrong with it yet I asked and got turned down straight away. I don't have much faith in the council, the paint used is already pealing in connection with frontage work Noisy, nuisance neighbours Had a lady out to look at the property and found that there was a lot of work needed doing by my landlord to bring it up to standard i.e. heating, mice, water pipe leaking Rubbish been left behind by landlord owned property tenants which included a blue bin full of pigeon waste, straw droppings, etc. We contact HCC gave them the landlord's name and they

68 took it on from there. More than two years later the bin is still there. HCC have been in contact numerous times with the landlord but as usual nothing gets done. Problems with leaking pipes in bathroom. Issue was solved although landlord did not renovate bathroom. I also had problems with fan in bathroom but since about 6 months nobody came to me to repair it. I have mould on ceiling in bathroom. I did not contact Hull City Council as I did not know that they can help in problems like that Noisy neighbours, council did nothing except make us feel guilty for reporting the incidents If myself owned the house of a landlord Wanting 18 per car for parking in my own street a jump from 5 to 18 disgusting just a basic housing repair was reported If you had the same problem in the future what would you do? HCC to enforce landlords to maintain properties/gardens, especially adjoining private homes The council just pass you onto someone else - waiting for Area Team to ring me I know Hull City Council won't do anything so I won't bother reporting fly-tipping: no faith. When someone came from the council to go over details on how they were going to do the frontage and asked to have my garden concreted they put down to be done they never told me it wasn't going to be done they said it wasn't on their list. Why ask if they had no intention of doing so? I had to ask all they would say is ring the mobile number. I didn't always get through being a pensioner I couldn't always afford to ring I tried to catch the person in charge but they were always talking to someone I do not want to have the same problems. Would like them sorted out before winter as we have a 4 month old child As the outcome of the last problem has not been resolved I certainly would not expect any future incident to be resolved. Absolutely no faith in HCC whatsoever, carry on doing what Dick Turpin did take the money (council tax) and run Make the time scale in gathering evidence about noisy neighbours realistic instead of waiting 3 months for a noise recorder to be fitted that never came If you had the same problem in the future what would you like to see done differently? Don't tell me children can go to the other side of Riley to play (Parkfield Area) or to cross Alliance ave, Delapole, Albert Ave to get to West Park to play - would you let your children To be helpful on the phone and pass messages on to each other, act in an appropriate manner and care about residents I don't know To take the appropriate action against nuisance neighbours when presented with all the relevant evidence Would like them sorted a bit quicker, no work has been done as of yet All I expect is some cooperation. HCC warned the landlord to do something about the problem on numerous occasions. The landlord in turn laugh in your face. The outcome was - no outcome First of all I would contact Hull City Council. I would like that my landlord resolved the problem with mould in the bathroom Do something about it instead of making people's lives a misery due to other people's behaviour Install a camera opposite alley to catch people dumping rubbish or better still a gate Would you like to make any other comments or suggestions? Children need Riley Field till they start building on it (could be between 10 and 15 years) Good workers I think the Shire Streets need a face lift like other areas of Anlaby Road. Nothing has been done around here. On the frontage scheme I am not happy as # made a mess of our guttering it looks terrible. They also made a mess of other properties which they had to correct. I will have to PAY someone to redo our guttering as it looks terrible. # are cowboys I would like to see the PEAL project in action because so far they have done nothing!!? PEAL project was good but landlord has not done any improvements that were recommended

69 as yet I live in the Shires area so Q1.5 was not relevant to me but there was no Box to that effect. However, there should be a frontage improvement scheme for the Shires area. The PEAL project in my eyes is cosmetic. Anybody can have a nice looking house with fancy curtains, it's what's behind those curtains and facade that counts They haven't done anything in the Shire Streets

70 Appendix 9: Draft Leaflet: Identifying Common Housing Hazards

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78 Appendix 10: Tennant Accreditation Leaflet