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.
|