Tenancy
How we are doing and where we need to improve
Our Financial Inclusion Team help residents manage their money and bills by taking them through a range of options.
In the last year, we provided help with winter fuel bills up to £300 for residents over-65s, supported residents with rising living costs via a ‘Food Pantry’ service which offersgrocery shopping worth between £20 and £30 for only £3.50, and also worked with Green Doctors to provide further advice and consultation to residents.
Sheltered Housing were able to maintain essential welfare checks and access to services for sheltered housing residents throughout the pandemic. They also worked jointly with Social Services, volunteer organisations, and Neighbourhood Management to provide additional support for sheltered housing residents and their families.
Sheltered Housing consistently met or exceeded their targets, including completing 100 per cent of individual resident reviews and risk assessments, and received 97 per cent customer satisfaction with the overall service.
The Community Alarm Service were able to maintain seamless 24/7 all-year-round services throughout the year, including during pandemic lockdowns and restrictions. They completed 98.8 per cent of all emergency visits within target time and received 100 per cent customer satisfaction with the overall service.
This consistency in performance was reflected in the Community Alarm Service achieving the Telecare Services Authority (TSA) industry standard re-accreditation for the second year in a row in July 2021.
Despite pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, which affected supply chains and reduced the availability of contractors, the Aids and Adaptations Team managed to complete 133 adaptations in vulnerable residents’ homes.
The Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team delivered over £2.1m of income, jobs, grants, and other benefits for the local area.
57 households have now moved through the Local Lettings Plan and a further 25 through a Refurbishment Decant Scheme co-designed with residents.
- Resident satisfaction survey
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Performance Measure 2020-21 2021-22 Target 2021-22 Current tenant rent arrears, as a percentage of the annual rent debit 3.60 3.01 <=2.99 Number of evictions for rent arrears 0 6 N/A Average calendar days to re-let a vacant home (standard works) 76.35 43.9 <=28 Number of vacant and available to let homes (excluding Lancaster West refurbishment) 62 63 N/A - Allocations and mutual exchange – what we have done
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We have seen a big improvement this year in the average number of days to re-let a vacant home, with the average time reducing by over 30 days. This continues to be a key focus for the Voids and Lettings Teams, who have taken on several new contractors to assist with works to empty properties.
The Lettings Team managed to sign up 277 new tenants, an increase from last year, and were able to adapt their service effectively during the pandemic by carrying out virtual viewings and online sign-ups where appropriate.
To help speed up letting empty properties to new tenants, we introduced a reward incentive scheme for outgoing residents to return their old gas meter cards and electric meter keys when they are vacating.
We continue to use the feedback from our tenant satisfaction survey results to improve our voids service. We have increased the number of new kitchens and bathrooms we are installing in empty homes to ensure tenants receive better quality homes upfront and avoid the disruption of capital works further down the line.
Working closely with Westminster Community Homes, we introduced our first Keyworker scheme, providing 14 homes to keyworkers living and working in the borough. This scheme has proven to be a success, receiving positive feedback across the board.
To help care leavers into their first independent homes, our Lettings Team worked with Social Services to introduce an enhanced void standard for care leavers. This has already resulted in us decorating and furnishing homes for 20 care leavers since the project started in October 2021.
As part of the Housing First project, which aims to rehouse rough sleepers and supports them into temporary accommodation, we have provided new homes for a number of our homeless residents. In doing this we have provided them with an enhanced standard of works, including decoration and furniture.
- Tenure – what we have done
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As the economy continued to recover from the pandemic with various restrictions being lifted, the rent arrears continued to improve throughout the financial year. In May 2021, Housing Management refunded many residents an admin fee for water provision. A number of these refunds were transferred to rent accounts which helped reduce rent arrears. At the end of 21/22, rent arrears fell to 3.01 per cent from 3.60 per cent at the end of 20/21.
The Income Team continued to be proactive in supporting residents to maximise their income and maintain their tenancies. No new rent arrears evictions took place last year and only six evictions were carried out in total, all of which were carried over from before the pandemic.
We have successfully assisted 43 households in reducing or clearing their rent arrears through accessing Homeless Prevention Fund awards totalling £92,400. The awards were paid directly into rent accounts to stop escalation to legal action.
Our Welfare Advisors successfully helped tenants recover £86,500 in unclaimed and backdated benefits. They completed 150 cases, 75 per cent of which had at least one successful outcome, such as winning a benefit appeal.
Housing Management successfully bid for a proportion of the Housing Support Fund allocated to the whole Council by central government. The majority was distributed to 632 households via Sainsbury’s vouchers totalling £77,000, helping families to manage through the pandemic. Further funds were used to purchase additional spaces in a local Food Pantry.