Luton Borough Council Housing Landlord Services

Transcription

1 Luton Borough Council Housing Landlord Services Annual Report to Tenants 2011/12

2 Contents Click on the section you are interested in below to go straight to the information. Performance Summary 4 Resident Involvement and Empowerment 14 Complaints, Compliments and Comments 20 Understanding and responding to diverse needs of tenants 23 Home - Repairs and Maintenance 25 Home - Adaptations 28 Tenancy - Tenancy Management 29 Tenancy - Allocations 34 Tenancy - Rents and Service Charges 37 Tenancy - Empty Properties 41 Tenancy - Sheltered Housing 43 Neighbourhood and Community - Neighbourhood Management 45 Neighbourhood and Community - Local Area Cooperation 47 Neighbourhood and Community - Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) 48 Value for Money (VFM) 50 Contact Phone Numbers 52 2

3 A Message from the Chair of the Tenants Consultative Committee This report shows you how the Housing Department performed in 2011/12 with clear indicators of the successes and also what needs to be improved. With more and more tenants becoming involved in monitoring services, tenants are at the heart of monitoring performance and having a meaningful say on service improvements. This has demonstrated the Housing Department s commitment to work with its tenants. Over the next two years the Council aims to create more opportunities for tenants to be involved in the monitoring and scrutiny of services. As well as this report you will be sent a summary report in the Winter 2012 edition of Housing Matters. Fred Fowler Chair of Tenant Consultative Committee A Message from Councillor Tom Shaw - Portfolio Holder for Housing As Portfolio Holder I am keen to ensure that tenants are able to see exactly how well we are doing in delivering the housing service. There are testing times ahead for tenants with Welfare Benefit Reform and we are aiming to ensure that tenants receive the best service to steer us through difficult times. This report tells you what is good and what is not so good about the council housing in Luton. We are determined to improve across the board and where services are good we aim to make them better and where they are not we will concentrate on bringing them up to standard. Cllr Tom Shaw Portfolio Holder for Housing 3

4 Performance Summary This Performance Summary gives you a quick view on how the different sections of Landlord Services performed during the accounting year of 2011/12. Value for Money drives all of our services and you will find good examples of it throughout this report. These are marked with a VFM symbol. It is our intention to save further costs but always improve services. Please see the main sections of this report for more detail. Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Tenant involvement and empowerment Trained tenants conducting satisfaction surveys Saved more than 28,000 on our resident involvement budget Numbers of involved tenants increased Started a Disabled Tenant Service Area Panel Promoted resident involvement at staff conferences and in staff pledges to involve tenants Run training for Key Customers, scrutiny, tenant inspection, committee skills and chairing meetings Governance review planned and started Service Area Panels related to rents, repairs and maintenance and disability are low on tenant numbers Use new governance plans to recruit and train more tenants to be involved Work with our fellow staff to increase their interaction with tenants Improve Housing Matters and utilise the Housing Web site to involve tenants

5 Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Complaints, Compliments and comments The cost of compensation in Ombudsman settlements has dramatically reduced compared with 2010/11 The number of recorded compliments fell by half Arrange further complaints training sessions for Housing Staff Revise the complaints survey to make it shorter and more focused Work with our clients/tenants to implement the legislative changes on governance in the Localism Act Understanding and responding to diverse needs of tenants Started tenancy audits to better understand the needs of our tenants Tenant panels and consultation groups are not always representative of the ethnic profile of our tenant groups Advertise for Urdu and Bangladeshi speakers to help with translation in Housing Matters Use publicity material that promotes the outcomes of the Governance Review to recruit tenants from hard to reach groups 5

6 Home Repairs and Maintenance Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Repairs and Maintenance Developed performance indicators with tenants Increase in repairs completed on time Jobs completed right first time is on target Reduced cost of repairs/work by 1million Started Locator Plus repair identification software BTS are now operating a trading surplus VFM Started mobile working for all repairs staff VFM Slight increase in gas servicing performance Repairs and maintenance phase of preparing empty properties for let is above target Customer satisfaction with the responsive and planned repairs service is above target Concern with the number of appointments missed by tenants Start mobile working for gas servicing team, repairs surveyors and empty properties surveyors Improve gas servicing performance Carry out review or repair and empty home standards Working with other Registered Landlords to measure against performance Investigate reasons behind missed appointments Improve customer satisfaction with the repairs service Improve percentage of appointments kept by BTS staff Recruit and train new tenant representatives to be part of the tender process for heating and energy related contractors 6

7 Home - Adaptations Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Adaptations Waiting list greatly reduced Cost of contractors could be more expensive than using BTS to do adaptations Look at the possibility of getting the Council s repairs and maintenance staff to do adaptations Tenancy Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Tenancy Management Completed tenant audit visits with half of Luton Borough Council tenants VFM Identified abandoned properties that have been re-let Carried out all accompanied viewings Increased number of assisted transfers Reduction in the average management cost per property Introduction of mobile working VFM Saving of 50,000 by office move VFM Not all new tenants had an early tenancy visit All new tenants to have an early tenancy visit within eight weeks of starting the tenancy Increase the number of tenancy audits completed Identify and assist our more vulnerable tenants through increased early tenancy visits Work with other agencies to ensure vulnerable tenants receive the assistance they need 7

8 Tenancy Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Allocations Increased number of bids for vacant properties through the Choice Based Lettings (CBL) website Introduction of Autobidding that makes bids for people who can t access computers Fewer refusals on properties offered Reduction in the number of properties with over three refusals 78% new tenants satisfied with CBL CBL offers wider choice of housing options Launched a Mutual Exchange website Increased number of properties let first time Increased percentage of properties let first time Reduced percentage of housing offers refused Reduced number of properties with over three refusals Number of applicants for Council housing has increased by 35% in 2011/12. We do not have the properties to house the extra increased number. 8% of tenants were dissatisfied with Choice based Lettings BL Reduce empty property times Investigate possibility of on-line applications Introduce amended allocations policy Review the impact of the Localism Act on a new LBC Allocation Policy Advertise more housing options Continue to improve the usability of the CBL website 8

9 Tenancy Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Rents Work with Income Service Area Panel on consultation about reducing rent arrears Reduction in rent arrears VFM No increase in the number of evictions for rent arrears Increase in former tenant arrears collected Reduction in former tenant arrears overall Saved 26,000 on staff costs VFM Saved 16,000 on postage costs VFM Increase in rent collected through direct debit VFM Reveived 21,840 in rent using the Purley Centre for temporary accommodation VFM Former tenant arrears levels are likely to increase with welfare changes Financial inclusion strategy not complete Increase resources to tackle Former Tenant Arrears Complete financial inclusion strategy Complete the former tenant debt review for 2011/2012 by September 2012 Train staff and educate tenants on the Welfare Reform Act Work more closely with external organisations Train LBC staff member as a support worker Empty Properties Lower average re-let time for general needs properties VFM Lower cost of rent lost due to empty properties VFM Average relet times for general needs housing is too high at 34 days Higher average relet time for sheltered properties Reduce general needs relet times Reduce sheltered re-let times 9

10 Sheltered Housing Area Success Success For 2012/13 Sheltered Housing %% of calls to Telelink Care Services were responded to within the target time of three minutes Trained the Sheltered SAP Work with Fire Service and Health and Safety Officers means that the sheltered schemes are safe places in which to live Bethune Close sheltered scheme won Luton s Best 2011 award for Community Achievement Telelink staff training on giving names to callers All sheltered schemes have advertised tenant meetings twice yearly Promoted sheltered housing in the wider community at open days Promoted Acworth Court with choice of new carpet, new kitchens and bathrooms and paying removal costs Completed tenant support visits in all occupied sheltered properties Daily contacts in sheltered schemes 62% New service user support plans, and needs and risk assessments 100% Support plans reviewed 97.4% Needs and risk assessments reviewed 98.1% Fire alarm tests completed 100% Scooter storage review completed. Report on recommendations to be agreed. Concern Unable to develop the sheltered or scheme handbooks due to higher priorities 98.1% of pull chord and smoke alarm checks completed Complete and distribute Sheltered Housing Handbooks Continue to promote Sheltered Housing to the wider community Complete the Scooter Storage report and consult tenants on the findings Continue to consult and involve tenants in decision making processes through SAPs, scheme meetings and consultation Continue to work with the Council s Adult Social Care Team in moving Stopsley Day Centre to Colwell Court. Complete 100% of pull chord and smoke alarm checks

11 Neighbourhood and Community Neighbourhood Management Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Neighbourhood management CCTV and Neighbourhood Officers have helped convict fly tippers Combined estate inspection days and Actions Days Key Customers trained and visited four times a year VFM Partnership working with the Council s street services team resulting in reduced rubbish clearing charges VFM Cost of the cleaning service has reduced Increase in fly tipping on Council land. This is a national issue No Neighbourhood Strategy Reduce fly tipping on Council land Neighbourhood Management Team write a new Neighbourhood Strategy Retender the cleaning contract Increase the number and scope of the Key Customers 11

12 Neighbourhood and Community Local Area Co-Operation Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Local Area Cooperation Worked with local registered housing providers to improve the Choice Based Lettings system Developed new cash incentive scheme Helping vulnerable tenants along with social services to allocate extra care accommodation Helping vulnerable tenants with the Mental Health Team and Luton Police Worked with Citizens Advice Bureau, Luton Rights and Supporting People on rent related issues Set up Local Area Agreements with Bedfordshire Police at Shaftsbury Road Improved communication to tenants of the effectiveness of partnerships in Housing Matters Published and implemented a clear family poverty strategy including financial inclusion training for staff and community Seek to encourage more involvement of its tenants in Council governance areas to promote tenant views and welfare at a corporate level We are aiming in future to work with agencies such Luton Rights, Luton Law Centre, local Credit Unions and CAB to mitigate the effects of Welfare Benefit changes 12

13 Neighbourhood and Community Antisocial Behaviour Area Success Concern For 2012/13 Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) Shortlisted in the National Housing Awards for working to improve The Green and Wolfsburg Court CCTV strategy completed Town wide upgrade of CCTV leading to arrest of three people for damage to Council housing property Increase in overpersistent and serial complainants* Update ASB policy and procedure Revise tenancy agreement related to ASB Complete policy on dealing with over-persistent and serial complainants* Look at alternative methods of collecting evidence from tenants on antisocial behaviour Continue to grow and develop CCTV *These are complainants who will, for example, phone every day or several times a day for updates on the progress of their complaint or make an unusually high number of complaints that are out of proportion with actual problems occurring. 13

14 Resident Involvement and Empowerment The following table shows how your rent money was spent on resident involvement and empowerment Resident Involvement Budget Budget Item Salaries, contributions and allowances Explanation Resident Involvement team salaries, contributions and allowances RI Spend 2010/11 RI Spend 2011/12 103,699 94,149 1 Stationery Stationery for events and mailings Printing Newsletters, questionnaires and event promotion (includes postage charges for Housing Matters and the Annual Report to Tenants) 26,201 18,696 3 Postage Cost of postage 1,169 3,111 4 Telephone Calls Officers Expenses General Insurances Tenant Costs Fixed Central Costs Calls made by tenant representatives on behalf of LBC Officer expenses for out of hours meetings Insurance for tenant representatives Tenant training fees, travel expenses, venue hire, catering, photography, tenant printing Annual payments for Council services e.g. legal, customer services, human resources ,049 10,099 4, Total Spend 145, , 390 Budget 157, ,678 Saving 11,495 28,288 See next page for explanation of the budget

15 1 Cost reduction due to removal of one part time post from the Resident Involvement Team payroll. 2 Increased cost due to purchase of ergonomic headset and cost of security safe relocation from Lewsey Community Centre to the Town Hall. 3 Savings are from a reduction in the cost of Housing Matters magazine, and a conscious decision to reduce printing generally. 4 The increase was for the 2,189 postage cost of invites and publicity for the Tenant Open Day Staff insurance has increased to provide wider cover. This will change year on year. 6 Increase in expenditure due to improvements made in the Customer Service Centre (all relevant departments are charged internally for their service). Tenant Consultative Committee (TCC) The TCC is the Councils main tenant governance body. Usually TCC meetings consist of members commenting on reports that are presented by Council (usually Housing) officers. All recommendations of the TCC are reported to the Council s Executive Committee and the TCC s views are taken into account when Executive members agree policies. Their main achievements in 2011/12 were: The TCC helped organise a Tenant Training Day in May Luton tenants attended together with a number of tenants from Central Bedfordshire. The day helped raise awareness of the regulation of housing services by tenants and tenant inspection. TCC members attended the Housing Strategy Conference held in June 2011 and gave their views on what should be in the Strategy. The TCC agreed the final Strategy at its meeting in December The TCC agreed that Housing Matters Magazine should be reduced in size from A4 size to a smaller A5. This has resulted to savings on both printing and postage. TCC members and Councillors worked together to deliver a report on new tenant governance structures. 15

16 Service Area Panels (SAPs) There are six SAPs. Tenants on SAPs monitored performance in Tenancy, Income and Asset Management. We also set up a Disabilities SAP and a Sheltered Housing SAP. These groups review services and recommend improvements. These SAPs meet regularly every quarter. Asset Management SAP At its meetings the SAP questioned key performance information on the repairs service such as getting jobs right first time, hitting repairs time targets, progress with programme works etc. Visited the repairs call centre to observe how repairs were logged and to speak to staff. Involved in helping to select contractors tendering for lift servicing and digital switchover. The Chair of the SAP went out onto estates accompanying BTS officers explaining digital switchover to tenants at public meetings. Helped out on site with a high rise communal area colour scheme consultation. Helped out at a Park Town flats boiler replacement show flat. Income Management SAP Met to look at current rent arrears and former tenant arrears performance. They met with Housing Benefit (HB) officers to talk about improving efficiency in dealing with HB claims for tenants. Made suggestions regarding working with utility companies in chasing former tenant arrears. Surveyed new tenants about their satisfaction with the letting process, accompanied viewings and the sign up experience. 16

17 Tenancy and Neighbourhood Management SAP At each meeting the SAP monitored performance information of both the Tenancy Management and the Neighbourhood Management teams. The SAP managed a budget of 40,000 for environmental improvement schemes across Luton to benefit tenants. Examples of the projects included: external water taps fitted to several sheltered housing schemes removal of dangerous trees at Chobham Walk improvement of security to doors at Erin Court the SAP took a keen interest in improvements to security at Shaftesbury Road flats including a site visit to identify improvements e.g. installing of CCTV and landscaping. Sheltered Housing SAP As its first action the SAP visited the Telelink Care Service Centre to inform itself fully on the services that it provides. The SAP gave its opinions on the Sheltered Housing Survey. Disabilities SAP Discussed access to council buildings for people with disabilities and also sent opinions to Arriva buses on access to their vehicles and routes. Reviewed and commented on the satisfaction survey for Aids and Adaptations. Reviewed the budget spend for 2011/12. Communications SAP Reviewed the letters tenants receive regarding their rent payments. As a result the Housing Department has recommended changes. Made recommendations on changes to the layout or rent statements sent to tenants to make them clearer to tenants Helped with last years Annual Report to Tenants. It suggested a detailed report on its website together with a summary report in Housing Matters. 17

18 Tenant Open Day 11 th June 2011 This event gave tenants and those looking for housing the chance to speak directly to Council officers about the services they receive. Several hundred tenants were at the event and gave their opinion on changes to the way that the housing service is governed and signed up to be involved in scrutiny groups. Housing Staff dealt with questions about the housing service and were able to help with issues that tenants had. Non-tenants looking for housing were given advice on housing options. Overall it was a good opportunity for people to find out more about the housing service and meet the Officers who run it. Customer Satisfaction Eight trained tenants have regularly conducted questionnaires that track tenant satisfaction levels with the service. Tenant and Resident Associations (TARAs) TARAs are area based tenant groups that discuss housing problems local to their area. In 2011/12 there were TARAs operating in the following areas. Ashcroft and Ramridge Dusty s Yard (Farley Hill) Hasting Street Area Lewsey West and Central Park Town St. Anne s (Hart Lane) If you would like to join a TARA or start one in your area please call Key Customers Key customers are tenants and leaseholders who help to monitor the cleaning and grounds maintenance services. All have been offered training and have been provided with packs and are contacted four times a year by the Neighbourhood Officers. Resident Involvement Officers have been involved in training Key Customers to make them more effective in monitoring housing services and have organised networking events for them to meet each other. Tenant involvement in the Solar Panel Project Tenant representatives helped survey tenants whose properties were suitable to have solar panels. They visited several Luton estates, informed tenants about the benefits of the solar panel project and their efforts led to more tenant joining the project than otherwise would have. 18

19 Involved Tenants As mentioned elsewhere in the report Luton has a number of opportunities for tenants to get involved. We have increased numbers involved as Key Customers, in phone surveys, and have started a leaseholder SAP and a sheltered SAP. Involved Tenant Roles TCC 16 SAPs 24 Phone Surveys 8 Key Customers 85 TARAs 60 Total roles /12 Table records number of tenant roles. A few tenants are involved in both TCC and Service Area Panels Staff awareness of resident involvement Staff conferences were held highlighting the importance of resident involvement in service delivery. If you would like to get involved in any of the opportunities listed above please contact Resident Involvement Team on or resident.involvement@luton.gov.uk 19

20 Complaints, Compliments and Comments How we did Whilst we are always happy to receive compliments, we understand that we may not get things right every time. We always take complaints seriously and investigate any we receive. During 2011/12 Housing Landlord Services received: 247 Compliments which demonstrates the good work staff are doing 118 Complaints were received o One acknowledgement to a complaint was done out of time. o 23 responses to complaints were done out of time (The reason for late response was partly due to the complex nature of some complaints leading to more time for investigation). o 81% of complaints were responded to on time. The national target is 82%. The Complaints Process This is our process for dealing with complaints: Stage 1 Review by a manager in the relevant service Stage 2 Review by a senior manager Stage 3 Review by a Head of Service Outcome of Complaints Although most of the complaints we receive are resolved at Stage 1: twenty-one complaints went to Stage 2 eight complaints went to Stage 3. One was upheld, one was partially upheld, and six were not upheld three of the eight complainants who took their complaints to Stage 3 exercised their right of referral to the Ombudsman. Only one of these complaints was upheld. 20

21 If you are viewing this report online you can find more details about our complaints process by clicking here. Complaints Process. Summary of Complaints and Compliments for Housing Landlord Services 2010/ /12 Complaints received to Housing Landlord Services Complaints resolved on time 82% 81% Late acknowledgement of complaint 6 1 Late response to complaint Complaints moved to stage two 7 21 Complaints moved to stage three 3 8 Housing complaints referred to the Ombudsman 9 13 Complaints to Ombudsman upheld 3 1 Cost of compensation Ombudsman settlements Compliments Officers have been encouraged to deal with any verbal concerns within 24 hours. If they are able to do so then the issue raised is not registered as a formal complaint. This leaves more time to deal with difficult/complex issues. What we learned from complaints To provide clear guidelines to occasional contractors to help avoid delays. To reduce the amount of keys available for all new re-let properties. This reduces key cutting costs and limits the number of people with access to the property. 21

22 Types of Complaints 2008/ / / /12 Timeliness Staff Behaviour Inadequate Information Service Standard Management Decision Failure to provide service Total If you wish to make a compliment or complaint to the Council about housing services please contact: The Complaints and Representations Manager Housing and Community Living Department Unity House 111 Stuart Street Luton, LU1 5NP Tel: feedback@luton.gov.uk 22

23 Understanding and responding to diverse needs of tenants Luton Borough Council has a clear commitment to meeting the needs of its multi cultural community. We provide translations for publications such as Housing Matters. Documents are also available in large print and Braille where necessary. Our Communications Service Area Panel makes sure that all our documents are in clear English and carry a Clear English Logo. We have established a Disabilities Service Area Panel that focuses on ensuring the needs of tenants with disabilities are fully taken into account. Age Profile of Tenants 65+ years 27% years 3% years 24% years 46% The age profile of tenants is based on data from 7484 tenants. 23

24 Ethnicity Profile of Tenants Asian/British Indian 1% Mixed White and British Caribbean 2% Black/British African 4% Asian/British Pakistani 5% Asian/British Bangladeshi 5% Kashmiri 1% Polish 1% Other 6% White Irish 5% Black/British Caribbean 8% White British 62% The ethnicity profile is of 4792 of our 8640 tenants who have told us their ethnic identity (8640 includes joint tenants). Data gathering has improved since the start of the Council s tenant support visits. That is why there are 4% more in the other category in 2011/12 than 2010/11. The other category includes minority groups of less than 30 tenants. If you would like to get involved in tenant panels and monitoring the Councils performance please contact the Resident Involvement Team on or resident.involvement@luton.gov.uk 24

25 Home - Repairs and Maintenance Responsive Repairs VFM In 2011/12 we introduced mobile working for all our repairs staff. We also introduced Locator Plus into our repairs control centre to help improve the efficiency of the service we provide. Locator Plus is an on line repairs diagnostic system. It uses pictures or text to help our repair control centre team staff identify repairs quickly and accurately matching them to the correct repair solution. BTS is involved in making empty properties ready to let. The repairs and maintenance part of this process takes an average of nine working days. The target for this is 10 working days. Responsive Repairs 2008/ / / /12 Repairs completed on time 99.3% 98% 91.5% 98% (target 95%) 2011/12 Jobs complete right first time 90% (target 90%) Appointments are missed because either a tenant is not in or they change their mind about the repair. When a tenant is not in we leave a card to say that we called, asking them to contact us to re-book the repair. We are putting in place a strategy to try to reduce the number of missed appointments. Planned Maintenance Again this year we carried out a comprehensive programme of planned works including new kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, rewires and central heating systems. Details of our planned works programme for 2011/12 can be found on our website. Click this link. Planned Works Programme 2012/13. 25

26 Repairs Spend 2008/ / / /12 BTS work that are Day to Day Repairs 23% 22% 21% 22% BTS work that are planned works 77% 78% 79% 78% Cost of Day to Day Repairs 2,584,636 2,619,186 2,326,183 2,246,258 Cost of Planned Works 12,679,036 14,160,481 12,121,834 11,384,765 Cost of preparing empty properties 1,310,199 1,463,915 1,002,547 1,046,170 Total cost of repairs 16,573,872 18,243,584 15,450,564 14,677,194 The figures in the above table for repairs spend before 2011/12 were calculated using a different method to those in 2011/12 and are not directly comparable. Cost Comparison of Day-to-Day repairs completed against Planned Maintenance repairs Planned Maintenance 84% Day to Day Repairs 16% We are pleased to report that compared with last year we have increased planned maintenance and are doing fewer responsive repairs. Having fewer responsive repairs is a more cost effective way of maintaining homes. 26

27 Gas Safety Our performance in this area improved slightly last year. We still need to improve to meet our 100% target. We can only do this with your help by allowing us access to your property to carry out safety checks. The gas safety check includes checks for carbon monoxide. For details on what is involved in the Gas Safety check click here. Gas Safety Check Details. Percentage of properties that have had their gas equipment serviced 2010/ / % 96% Working Practices VFM Changes from piece work to salaries and an increase in efficiency means that BTS are now operating a trading surplus. Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction with the responsive repairs service is 93%. Our target is 90%. Customer satisfaction with the planned maintenance service is 98%. Our target is 90%. Resident Involvement Tenant representatives were involved in developing repairs and maintenance performance indicators and targets. To report a repair, please ring our Repairs Control Centre on our free phone number: or housing.repairs@luton.gov.uk For emergencies outside of normal working hours: ring This number can be used between 6pm and 8am weekdays and at anytime during the weekend and bank holidays. Please note that this number is for emergencies only. If we discover that your repair isn t urgent we may have to charge you for any cost incurred for the call out. 27

28 Home - Adaptations Luton Borough Council provides an adaptations service to all eligible Luton residents. Adaptations to your home can make life easier for you. This may only need a small change, such as a handrail to help you to climb steps or stairs or you may need something major such as a stair lift. Where adaptations are not possible we may still be able to help you by offering you more suitable accommodation. Adaptations work comparisons Number of adaptations (Council properties only) Cost of completed adaptations (Council properties only) Average waiting time for adaptation * 2009/ / / , , , days (28 months) 635 Days (20 months) 200 days Minor works 508 days Major works *Time from referral from Occupational Therapist to certification of work (all work completed to the Council s satisfaction and relevant paperwork e.g. electrical certificate, has been provided). Aids under 1000 such as grab rails are provided by Occupational Therapists. Minor Works are works costing more than 1000 and are typically things like a stair lift or level access shower. Major Works are extensions, hence the longer completion time (need to get planning permission etc). The cost of contractors doing the adaptations work could be less than having BTS do it. In 2011/12 we looked at the possibility of bringing the adaptations work in house. We trialled some of our work with BTS and the outcome will be decided in 2012/13. The waiting list for adaptations has reduced from 80 at the end of 2010/11 to 24 at the end of 2011/12. 28

29 Tenancy - Tenancy Management VFM The closure of Farley Office and moving the Tenancy Management Team to the Town Hall in June 2011 has reduced our operating costs by 50,000 per year. VFM Service has improved as Senior Housing Officers are no longer office based; this saves time with them working from touch down points on estates. This means better time management improved overall performance. Tenants wanting an appointment to see their Senior Housing Officer should call the Town Hall on Tenancy Audit Support Visits VFM These allow us to: update our records regarding your household details assist you if you are vulnerable by working with other agencies who can help you receive the support you need identify sub-letting and work to repossess the property as soon as possible carry out a full property check and work with you, if applicable, to resolve any breach of tenancy conditions identified. To 1 st April 2011 we had completed audits in approximately 1000 of our properties. During 2011/2012 we completed a further 2478, taking the overall total to 3471 (48% of our total stock) by 31 st March It is estimated that we will have completed audits on 90% of our stock by the end of 2012/13. While carrying out these visits we have investigated 62 possible abandoned or sublet properties, a number of which have now been relet to new tenants. The visits have identified tenancy problems that officers have worked with tenants to resolve. The Tenancy Audits are being carried out on all properties on a rolling programme, but we also target any properties where concerns have been raised, either by other tenants, members of staff or other agencies. In addition we are using the audits to target specific circumstances where more information is required for future action such as under occupation. 29

30 Current Housing Stock Luton Borough Council Housing Stock (April 2012) 2009/ / /12 Difference Studio Flats Bed House or Bungalow Bed Flat or Maisonette 2,292 2, Bed House or Bungalow Bed Flat or Maisonette 1,637 1, Bed House or Bungalow 2,809 2, Bed Flat or Maisonette Bed Houses Bed Houses Total Number of Housing stock 8,170 8, * -3 *The reduction in stock includes properties sold under Right To Buy and properties removed from stock in the Purley Centre and Purway Close. Purley Centre properties have been reinstated as demolition is on hold. This explains the increase of 18 one-bed and three-bed flats. Figures in the table do not include shared ownership. Luton Borough Council Housing Stock 2011/12 4 Bed House 1% 5 Bed House 0.5% Studio Flats 2% 3 Bed House or Bungalow 34% 1 Bed Flat or Maisonette 28% 3 Bed Flat or Maisonette 3% 2 Bed House or Bungalow 10% 2 Bed Flat or Maisonette 20% 1 Bed House or Bungalow 2% 30

31 Accompanied Viewings We have carried out 100% of accompanied viewings on all of the 652 offers made. Accompanied Viewing Satisfaction Survey We asked 177 new tenants How satisfied are you with the accompanied viewing? 80% were satisfied or very satisfied 7% (12 tenants) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied (dissatisfaction was mainly about outstanding repairs not completed. These were subsequently completed) 13% were neither satisfied or dissatisfied General Transfers We carry out pre-transfer visits on all tenants requesting transfer. During the visit a full tenancy audit is carried out. If problems are identified, such as damage or unauthorised alterations that cannot be resolved within a reasonable timescale, the applicant's priority is reduced. The Senior Housing Officers will then work with the household to resolve the matter and once resolved the appropriate priority is reinstated. During the year we carried out 375 pre-transfer visits, 17 of those had their priority reduced. Assisted Transfers 17 tenants have been given incentives to move to smaller homes under the assisted transfer scheme. This has freed up larger accommodation to help families on our waiting lists. We spent all of our assisted transfer budget in 2011/12. For information about our assisted transfers click here. Assisted Transfer Scheme. Assisted Transfers 2010/ /12 Number of assisted transfers Assisted transfer budget 50,720 56,500 Cost of assisted transfers 44,598 56,500 New Tenancy Visits New Tenancy Visits 2010/ /12 Number of lettings Number of new tenant visits Percentage of new tenants visited 85% 66% Visits completed within 8 weeks of start of tenancy 89% 94% 31

32 Not all new tenants had an early tenancy visit in 2011/12. The reason for this is that work was disrupted by time taken for an office move from Farley Hill to the town centre and the introduction of mobile working. Since then there has been a tighter monitoring process and we have completed 100% of new tenancy visits. New Tenancy Satisfaction Survey We asked 177 new tenants How satisfied are you with the early tenancy visit? 83% were satisfied or very satisfied 4% (7 tenants) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied 12% were neither satisfied or dissatisfied Cost of Managing Properties The average management costs per property have reduced by 25p per property since 2010/11. This is a reduction of 4.11p per property since 2009/10. This reduction has been gained as a result of moving the Tenancy Management Team backroom staff from Farley Community Centre to the Town Hall and operating a mobile working arrangement for Senior Housing Officers. Average management cost per property / / / /12 Average weekly management cost per property 32

33 Nuisance and Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) The Tenancy Management Team investigates all initial complaints of nuisance or antisocial behaviour, other than noise nuisance. More serious ASB cases are referred immediately to our Tenancy Enforcement Team. Noise nuisance complaints are referred to the Environmental Protection Team. If the nuisance is proved the Tenancy Enforcement Team may serve a Notice of Seeking Possession. Right to Buy Nuisance and Antisocial Behaviour 2010/ /12 Initial reports of ASB investigated Investigated ASB cases resolved initially ASB cases referred to the Tenancy Enforcement Team requiring further legal action Secure tenants have the right to buy their home from the Council. See for details. Leaseholders Right to Buy Completions (houses and flats) 2000/ / / / The Council owns over 400 blocks of flats in Luton and has responsibility for maintaining all shared parts and services such as caretaking, cleaning, lighting, and so on. In April 2012 we had 710 leaseholders compared with 704 in 2010/11. During 2011/12 we held our usual Annual General Meeting plus an extra one at which the findings of a Service Charge Working Group were presented. The Service Charge Working Group looked at the Lease, what we are allowed to charge for and how we charge Leaseholders. Out of that several suggestions were put forward to be discussed and taken further by the new Leaseholders Service Area Panel that has been set up in 2012/13. If you have questions about your tenancy please call

34 Tenancy - Allocations Demand for general needs (non-sheltered) housing within the town continues to far outstrip supply. During 2011/2012 the number of applicants on the Council s Housing Registers increased by 35%. At 31 st March 2012, there were over 6,200 applicants on the waiting list. By contrast the Council has a problem letting some of its sheltered housing. Choice Based Lettings (CBL) CBL provides housing applicants with more choice over where they eventually live, leading to more satisfied tenants and stable communities. There has been an increase of 36% in the number of bids placed for vacant properties advertised through CBL compared with 2010/2011. This shows a high level of demand for social housing. In 2011/ vacant Council properties were let through CBL. Another 204 applicants were re-housed into Housing Association properties. 132 applicants from Luton s housing registers moved outside of the town. They did this by means of the sub-regional arrangement that makes 10% of sub regional partner s vacant properties available to applicants from outside of the area where the property is located. Prior to CBL 43% of offers had been refused. This has fallen to below 12% under the new system. We aim to reduce refusals to 0% each year. We have introduced a system of auto bidding. This allows the CBL system to automatically place bids on behalf of applicants who don t have access to a computer. Applicants are able to specify the property type and location that they are interested in and the system will place bids on any advertised properties meeting this criteria. We recognise that there are not enough Council and Housing Association properties to meet the demand and that many applicants will need to consider alternative housing options to meet their needs. We have improved the Bedfordshire Homefinder website to assist applicants to assess all housing options that may be available to them. As well as continuing to advertise vacant Council and Housing Association homes the new site advertises shared ownership properties and gives details of private landlords and letting agents who have been accredited by the Council. We are doing this because we recognise that Bedfordshire hasn t enough social housing to meet demand and therefore we are seeking to give people alternatives. Our CBL website address is 34

35 Mutual Exchange To help tenants interested in exchanging properties with another social tenant we have also launched a new Mutual Exchange website in the autumn of This is a free service for current tenants and includes details of tenants from across the country who are hoping to swap properties. In 2011/12 we had 24 completed exchanges. Between April and August 2012 we had 29 applications through the new website with 19 completed. Indications show that the new website will increase completions in 2012/13. Interested tenants need to register their details at Lettings 2008/ / / /12 Number of Lets * Number let 1st Time % Let 1st time 81.11% 82.5% 81.62% 88.3% Number of refusals % of offers refused 43% 21.41% 14% 11.96%** Number of properties with over 3 refusals ** % with 3 refusals or more 1.70% 0.33% 1.16% 0.17% *Increase is possibly explained by existing tenants moving to new non-council developments in Luton, leaving more properties available to be rented in 2011/12. **Reduction possibly due to applicants now being used to how the Choice Based Lettings process works. Lettings Satisfaction Survey 437 new tenants were asked How satisfied are you with the bidding process? 78% were satisfied or very satisfied. 8% (14 tenants) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. 14% were neither. 35

36 If you want to bid to transfer to another property in Luton or Bedfordshire you can find details of available houses at If you are living in a home that is too large for your needs we offer financial incentives of up to 3000 for you to move to a smaller property. For details contact or click this link. Assisted Transfer Scheme 36

37 Tenancy - Rents and Service Charges Rent Arrears VFM We reduced rent arrears in 2011/2012 but to a lesser extent compared with 2010/11. This is due to a number of factors: The Housing Benefit charge for non dependents (e.g. any person living in the property who is over 18 and not in full time education) is increasing. This affects the ability of the tenant to pay their rent in full. Year on year we have achieved a reduction in rent arrears and so the reduction will get smaller over time. This is mainly due to tenants keeping to court orders so we may reach a point were the reduction is not extensive. Evictions are reducing. This means that the arrears stay on the current arrears figures and does not appear in former tenant arrears figures. Number of court referrals for rent arrears was 146 in 2011/12 compared with 125 in 2010/12. We did not evict any more tenants for rent arrears in 2011/12 than the previous year. We evicted 26 tenants in 2011/12. This was the same as last year but we aim to reduce the number of tenants evicted in the future. We stabilised the number of evictions carried out by working with external agencies and internal agencies, Luton Rights, Social Services, Tenant Representatives etc. We have assisted more households to sustain their tenancies with intervention. Rent Arrears End of year rent arrears 2008/ / / /12 812, , , ,680 Change in rent arrears -20.7% -11.6% % -6.74% Rent collected as percentage of rent due 97.2% 97.8% 98.35% VFM 98.4% 37

38 Court Referrals and Evictions Number of Court Referrals and Evictions for Rent Arrears Court referals Evictions / / / /12 Support to Temporary Accommodation Applicants VFM We received 21,840 by using the Purley Centre for temporary accommodation. This is 2010/11 based on an average of four properties at any one time. Financial Inclusion Financial inclusion aims to assist tenants to access the benefits and services that they are entitled to. The Council did not produce the Financial Inclusion Strategy as planned in 2011/12 but aims to do so in 2012/13. Former Tenant Rent Arrears (FTA) Amount owed in FTA has reduced by 78,895 in 2011/12. To help reduce FTA we are aiming to employ 3 new debt collection agencies. Former Tenant Rent Arrears (FTA) Amount owed on FTA (end of year) Amount collected in FTA (throughout the year) 2009/ / /12 1,421,920 1,536,479 1,457,584 64, , ,970 38

39 Welfare Reform The biggest challenge facing the rent income team in the future is the Welfare Reform Act. This is due to be launched in April New claims for Job Seekers Allowance and Income Support will receive Universal Credit in place of the existing benefit. All residents under the age of 62 will be paid housing benefit based on bedroom entitlement. 14% of money will be taken from those residents under occupying by 1 bedroom and 25% will be taken from those residents occupying 2 bedrooms. Benefits will be paid directly to the tenant and the expectation is that the tenant will pay their rent to the council when the rent falls due. The changes represent a potential increase in rent arrears levels if tenants do not manage their finances. We will talk with tenants about the possible impact of the Act at every opportunity to help manage the change. Tenant Involvement We have an Income Management Service Area Panel (SAP). In 2011/12 they have conducted pilot surveys on behalf of the Income Team looking at satisfaction with allocations, sign up and accompanied viewings. The SAP needs to increase its membership and concentrate on welfare reform benefit problems. Direct Debit Payments VFM There are 213 residents paying their rent by direct debit on a monthly basis and we collect 36,000 by this method. A further 1057 are paying by direct debit on a fortnightly basis and we collect 76,000 through his method. We offer a number of flexible means of paying by direct debit. Generally we have made it easier to pay by phone and online. Cost Savings VFM Staff cost savings of 26,000 were saved during 2011/12. These savings will be used to improve the services we give to all tenants. We also reduced the number of letters sent out from the rents team and saved 16,000 on postage. 39

40 Average Weekly Rents Average Weekly Rents (includes service charges) 2009/ / /12 Average Change Studio Flat BED BED BED BED BED Rent Arrears Satisfaction Survey Phone calls were made to tenants who went into rent arrears in each quarter of 2011/ tenants in rent arrears were asked Overall how satisfied are you with the service you received from Luton Borough Council about your rent arrears? 63% were satisfied or very satisfied 21% (42 tenants) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied 16% were neither satisfied or dissatisfied For information and advice on paying your rent we have a number of different factsheets, click on the following link. Housing Factsheets Changes to Housing Benefit There are important changes to Local Housing Allowance starting from April These changes will affect many people who currently receive Housing Benefit. For details on how these changes may affect you, click this link. Important changes to Housing Benefit. 40

41 Tenancy - Empty Properties Empty properties are those that have been vacated by the previous tenant and are waiting to be re-let. Average relet times have increased, largely due to the delays we experience in allocating retirement or sheltered housing. We will be working hard in the current year to drive this figure down. Empty property rent loss as percentage of rent roll was 1.05% at the end of 2011/12. Average days taken to Re-let Council Homes 2008/ / / / All Property Types General Needs Sheltered VFM The figures above show the average re-let time for empty general needs properties over the entire year. This is a reduction of 9 days to 34 days over the average re-let time for 2010/11. Our target re-let time is 30 days. Compared to Registered Landlords who are high performers for re-letting empty properties the 34 day re-let time is not satisfactory. We plan to reduce general needs re-let times by advertising earlier and speeding up all our letting processes. Due to low demand and potential over provision re-let times were considerably higher for sheltered accommodation. We aim to reduce sheltered re-let times by better promotion and attractive incentives. 41

42 Cost of rent lost due to empty properties Cost of rent lost due to empty properties 2009/ / /12 404, , ,421 The cost of rent lost in 2011/12 has reduced by 263,438 compared with 2010/11. We will always have empty properties for various reasons e.g. tenants leaving because they have ended their tenancy or properties needing major repairs or maintenance. Each day a property is empty we do not get any rent for it and we therefore work hard to ensure properties are empty for as little time as possible. The reason for the decrease in rent lost is a combination of: fewer total number of empty properties (even with an increase in turn around time) more expensive rental properties rent increase. 42