Agenda item

F Williamson presented the Quarter 1 Housing Performance report and asked the Committee for any questions.

Cllr Friedman said that the split out between general properties and adapted/special and queried if the target for general homes turnaround time more aggressive than it was six months ago when it was a combined target.   F Williams advised that the general needs has remained at the same target, so it’s not any more aggressive, but we do monitor any exceptions to the average times.  Tracy Vause and Alan Mortimer, Tracy works on the allocations side and Alan works on the works time, so progress during the empty homes refurbishment works.

Cllr Friedman mentioned at the last meeting we were talking about voids, mainly the sheltered and adapted and now that the information appears to show that the general has been the problem.  You said that you have plans to tackle that and asked for more details.  T Vause advised that they had been split out and we have identified that general needs does tend to be the one that we are struggling with meeting the targets.  We are reflecting true key to key times within every figure that we’re reporting, so from the moment that the property becomes void and comes back to us, until the day we sign up a new applicant.  We are looking at every area where we can find some improvements, so looking at advertising properties before they are void, advertising properties for three working days and then working through shortlist to quite strict targets.  We always come across different issues, sometimes we have to go down to the 17^th or the 18^th person on the list, for a number of reasons with the allocations, but we try and do multiple transfer visits for every property that’s being advertised, so that we are getting as many applicants ready for a potential offer.  That increases the workload for Alan’s Lettings Officers because they have to do more visits.  We are looking at different workstream reviews that we can do to improve each element of the process.  Alan is working very closely with the contractors to reduce the amount of time that the keys are onsite with the contractors having works completed, because until they are back with us, we can’t sign up the tenancy.  We have made lots of changes to the Policy last year with regards to refusals, to try and reduce the amount of refusals that we are getting through because they cause significant delays where we have gone all the way through the process for someone to then turn it down when the property is ready for viewing.  We are looking at all areas where we can mitigate any quick wins that we can do to reduce the timeline of keys.  

Cllr England said that the idea of stripping out the adapted was because we knew that they were skewing the figures, but it sounds as if we still have outliers which are dragging up the average, so we still have that problem of looking at a measure which isn’t really telling us the typical measure of turnover because it’s still corrupted or contaminated by the outliers.  Cllr England asked if there was any point in trying to take the process further or is it more trouble than it’s worth.  T Vause advised that with regards to the figures that are in the general needs, we still include any properties that have major works, so longer term voids that have substantial repairs or clearances required, also we still report on anything that properties considered for adaptions and then released back to general needs as not suitable, so they might have been stuck there for a while and properties that are being considered for disposal but then decided to keep and they are put back to general needs.  What we are trying to do is reporting true key to key, so every property that is void for the period, but within the more in-depth commentary we will break it down to say if we took these out, this is what the true figure would be, to see whether it’s worth looking at further separating the figures as we move forward. 

Cllr Mahmood commented on the key to key period, that we do this thousands of times over the years and asked how is it that we’ve set an ambitious target and were missing it, or are we looking to the process to find out where the delay is.  For example; is it the survey, the longer that people living in the house a month before giving notice and if you’re a private landlord you’re going to have a look.  Perhaps if the tenant gives us a list of what’s wrong with the house.  If you macro breakdown the process where is the problem.  A Mortimer confirmed that we are looking at the processes.  We’ve had some staffing changes, there has been some silo/disparate working within the teams and they are now working much more closely aligned and are being integrated across as well, so we have an understanding of what’s affecting each part of the process.  We are now looking at that macro level as you suggested, what can we do, what do we have to do, what can be done concurrently, not just consecutively.  It’s only by actually going into the level of details can we really strip down to what is the tightest target we can possibly get and then work towards that.  With regards to target we’ve currently set, I would say that’s an industry standard, that’s not an unfair or unreasonable target to try and achieve.  If anything we need to be identifying why we are not hitting that target and why we’re not hitting it more often. 

Cllr Mahmood said that we just seem to be doing the same thing and we are not putting it right.  A Mortimer advised that even within the void, each void has got a different category, so some have got a lesser extent of work, so should be turned around quicker, and a category 4 void, is the worst we can get.  With the detail we are going into we are discovering that are coming back in a worse condition, which means they require additional amounts of spend, but it’s not just the value, it’s the volume of works required within that, so that can skew the figures.  I think we can improve it.

Cllr Mahmood said that he looks forward to the report in due course.

L Warden also mentioned that an element of this is ensuring that we do the right work while tenants are in situ as well, so making sure with the condition of the property, like introducing audits where we visit every single property, once every five years as a minimum, those kind of things should have a positive impact on the condition of the property when they are being handed back.  Housing Officers are working closely with the voids team to make sure that work that we can do while they are a tenant will assist us to get back the property in better condition.

L Roberts highlighted that this is one of those times when you need to look at things differently, we have gone out to tender to look at business process analysis and review.  One of the options that we’ve gone out to tender on is the voids process.  Some of the people we have been in discussion with have dramatically reduced the void processes in other councils and it’s by using people very skilled in process mapping and discussions, their facilitation and carry on of the work that the team has already started will hopefully make some differences and show us where we might be able to use the same approach on other processes that need looking at within the Council. 

Cllr Adeleke asked about Universal Credit, in terms where people are falling into rent arrears, is the figure going up or down, if it’s going up what extra efforts are we making to support tenants.  Cllr Adeleke also wanted to know the number of people being supported by the Homeless Team is going up but it’s not indicated by what percentage, what was it two months ago and what is it now.  L Warden said in regards to Universal Credit, the last report indicated that rent arears as a whole, as the number of people in receipt of Universal Credit goes up, the number of people in rent arrears goes up, however the amount per household is decreasing slightly as we’ve put a few steps in place with our new Universal Credit Officer.  One of the key things is when a tenant moves in, a high percentage of them make their first benefit claim and go straight onto Universal Credit, so we’ve introduced some regular drop in sessions at Kylna Court for example, and will continue to do that for any of our new build schemes.  Some of those approaches are having a positive impact on ensuring we are being more proactive.  Last month or the previous month we bought a full detailed report of the impact of Universal Credit, we’ll continue to work through some of the actions and some of the things set out and look to give an update when we have a bit more information about the wider role out of transferring our existing housing benefit onto Universal Credit, which will be a massive impact, but we are waiting to hear a bit more information about how that will happen from the DWP.  F Williamson said that she could provide the Homeless figures from June 18 and June 19, the number of main duty applications in June 18 was 3 and in June 19 that had gone up to 26, the number of rough sleepers have stayed the same in that period. The number of cases where we have been able to prevent homelessness, last year was 35 but that was under the old system, whereas under the Homelessness Reduction Act we get involved earlier and 25 people have been prevented from homelessness June 2019, but the number of cases where relief has been successful, where we are ensuring we discharge our duty and people are then housed, June 2018 there were 3 people and June 2019 has gone up to 16 people.

Cllr Hollinghurst thanked F Williamson and confirmed that his question relates partially to the response on homelessness.  We have a wider responsibility for housing than simply our own stock and questioned is how much intervention we carry out these days with regards to vacant private accommodation that could be used for housing but is for some reason vacant and not being rented out.  F Williamson advised that we have a Private Rented Sector Team that are currently undertaking a piece of work around empty homes within the borough, there has also been a change in the Council Tax that is liable on empty properties and at the end of two years there’s a full 100% rate that is applicable and then that goes up to 200% of the property being vacant for five years.  That has meant that we’ve seen an increase in enquiries to the Council in respect of any grant funding that’s available to bring properties back into use.  We are currently looking at a project around what our options are as a Council because we don’t have any available Capital funding to be able to provide grants to owners in the private sector to bring those properties back into use.  The options are either then to take on a management order, in which case you still have to bring them back up to a habitable condition and in some cases that would require some Capital investment, the third option is to go for compulsory purchase, which is a lengthy process and again requiring Capital investment.  We are looking the numbers within the Borough and over the last year they range between 88 at the lowest end and 111 at the highest end, that was the total number of empty properties in the private sector and in the Council owned stock as well.

Cllr Hollinghurst said that if we have to acquire under the 2004 Housing Act if we require the landlord to spend money on his property to bring it up and they can’t, can we do the work and put a charge on the property.  F Williamson confirmed that we don’t have anything in place at the moment in legal terms due to the priority for HMO licensing changes for the private rented sector. The majority of their focus have been on properties in the private sector that are currently let out meet the required standards.  This piece of work has just started on empty homes, there’s actually a National Empty Homes Week, the last week in September, where we will be looking at other interventions that Council’s undertaken currently to try and bring empty homes back into use.  

Cllr England asked what number are we at with HMO’s with the number of registered HMO’s, we’re being told that we need to get to 900, are we making progress towards that.  F Williamson said that we have 144 dwellings licenced as at the end of quarter 1, which compares with 125 dwellings at June 2018.  We are also processing about 30 licence applications.

Cllr England enquired about Universal Credit where at the last Committee we would invite some of the stakeholders to come in so that we can force them to hear what you want to tell them.  The Chairman said she met with F Williamson over the summer and Officers have done quite a bit of work, Natasha is the lead on this and after the last meeting she had some quite positive meetings where people had been willing to come to the Council and meet her.  The Chairman is yet to get the updated list of who she is still outstanding to see but it’s definitely not off the radar and we did take your point up and act on it.  It would be a shorter list than the list that came to this Committee just before the summer because there has been some meetings organised by Natasha and held with the team and they were very happy with the outcome.

Cllr Mahmood said that overall the performance was pretty good, rents rising, HMO’s increasing and more satisfaction on anti-social behaviour.  In terms of the Homeless Reduction Act and delivering a mechanism jointly with St Albans, which is coming to a conclusion in June.  Cllr Mahmood asked how that had gone and what was the outcome.  F Williamson confirmed that we received the rough sleeper initiative funding of £200k and that is to provide outreach workers to support street homeless and people who are struggling to access any of the services that can provide the correct pathways.  The positions have now been advertised and we are shortlisting, the hope is that we can work in conjunction with Hightown who already have the infrastructure set up for outreach work.

Cllr Mahmood asked where St Albans comes into it.  F Williamson advised it was a joint bid on behalf of the two districts.

Cllr Oguchi queried the mid-level increase in anti-social behaviour seemed like a big increase, 67% to 83% and asked if there was a reason for this.  F Williamson confirmed this was an increase in the satisfaction in how the cases were handled.   In terms of the volumes that’s not reported, but if you would like to see that reported so that you can understand whether the percentages go up because there’s less cases, we can report the figure as well.

Cllr Johnson said that the report mentions investigating offsite and modern methods of construction.  Cllr Johnson asked what the timescales were for feeding back whether this was successful in delivering housing in Dacorum.  F Williamson highlighted that we have been working with a consortium with registered providers that’s being led by Watford Community Housing Trust, the intention is to provide sufficient volumes to make it attractive to the offsite manufacturers.  One of the possible outcomes is that if there is sufficient volume in the locality they may look to actually provide a manufacturing plant based in Dacorum, so there is dual benefits to the Council if we are able to achieve that, but we need to get buy-in from a number of registered providers to commit to the volumes that would make that worthwhile.

Cllr Mahmood mentioned the study that we are doing on lots of flats, where we could have pods for bathrooms etc. we could have thousands of these with that study.  F Williamson said that we are looking at predominantly low rise developments, just because of concerns over any form of timber framed construction in respect of height and fire risk.