Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Contact: Jodie Kloss/Alan Garside  Email: legalanddemocratic@watford.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

15.

Apologies for Absence/ Committee membership

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

 

16.

Disclosures of interest

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of interest.

 

17.

Minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2018 to be submitted and signed.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2018 were submitted and signed.

 

18.

Hostels and temporary accommodation pdf icon PDF 968 KB

The panel will receive a presentation of the Housing Property Manager, which is attached to the agenda.

 

Minutes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chair introduced the Housing Property Manager to the panel explaining that she would take questions during her presentation.  The Housing Property Manager began by explaining her background in the housing service.

 

During the presentation she discussed how the council contract only related to property owned by the council and that she would be able to talk about any wider temporary accommodation issues with members outside of the meeting.  She discussed the implications of the Homeless Reduction Act 2017 with the focus now on early intervention to help prevent people becoming homeless.  She provided data on how households in temporary accommodation had reduced significantly in Watford; from 216 households in April 2017 to 143 to date.  She also presented information on how the use of high cost nightly let and bed and breakfast accommodation had substantially reduced over the same period.

 

The Housing Property Manager went on to explain the various categories of temporary accommodation (including those outside the scope of the contract), how the present contact with Watford Community Housing (WCH) had been developed (with a saving of £72,000 to the Council as compared to the previous arrangements), the content of this contract (that was due to expire in May 2020), the number of properties owned by the council and how this had changed over time, how the new contract would be designed and the associated procurement timetable.

 

Members considered the reduction of households in temporary accommodation to be impressive.  The Housing Property Manager outlined some of the measures undertaken to achieve the decrease.  She explained the time periods for the allocation of the various categories of properties.  She clarified that overcrowding issues were not within the scope of the contract. The Deputy Managing Director advised members that in the future there would be a focus on the provision of two and three (and sometimes four) bedroom properties as opposed to one bedroom flats; and of the work that was ongoing in this regard.

 

Members discussed the use of bed and breakfast accommodation. In response to a question from members, the Housing Property Manager explained why it was necessary in some instances to provide this outside of the Watford area.  She continued by clarifying that there was a desire to reduce the number of private sector properties used for temporary accommodation as the council had more control of the running and management of properties it owned under the contract.

 

Members went on to discuss repair standards and timescales.  The Housing Property Manager reassured the panel that WCH met the contract requirements in this regard.  She advised that the fire alarm re-setting time scale would be revised under the new contract.  In response to questions from members, the Housing Property Manager outlined how the performance indicators in the contract were monitored and of the steps that could be taken when these were not met; including the imposition of service credits.  She undertook to provide the panel with the performance information.

 

Members discussed the annual fee paid by the council to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

 

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