Agenda item

The committee to receive a presentation from representatives of Watford Community Housing in relation to maintenance of their properties.

The scrutiny committee received a presentation from Helen Town and Paul Richmond of Watford Community Housing.

During the course of the presentation, representatives of Watford Community Housing (WCH) covered:

·       The establishment of the organisation, the number of homes owned and the corporate objectives.

·       The structure of the governance in place, both internally and externally.

·       Engagement with the Gateway structure, including its scrutiny function, as well as how tenants were engaged in decision-making more widely.

·       An overview of the approach to repairs including the stock condition surveys, responsive works, compliance activities and the capital improvement programme.

·       The inhouse repairs team and the active approach to recruitment and training of local employees.

·       The response to the green agenda in light of environmental concerns, the cost of living and concerns around damp and mould.  This had particularly focused on providing external wall insulation for the worst performing homes for energy efficiency. The goal was to have no homes rated EPC C or below by 2030.

·       Other areas of focus included supporting tenants with air quality and ventilation measures and moving away from gas.

·       Benchmarking data indicated that maintenance on expenditure was broadly in line with other registered providers.

·       How Watford Community Housing understood its asset data including surveys.

·       An understanding of tenants’ satisfaction levels through engagement and monitoring complaints as well as the ways in which tenants and councillors could raise concerns.

During questions following the presentation, the following points were discussed:

·       The development of the inhouse repairs team. Members were advised that this had been successful with a low vacancy rate in a competitive environment as well as the opportunity for apprenticeships and internal progression.

·       Progress to improve energy efficiency ratings of the stock. It was reported that 57 of the worst performing homes had been addressed and assessors had identified a further 275 which required improvements. There was confidence that the 2030 target for EPC ratings would be reached. The focus was on improving and investing in homes to keep them in the social rented sector.

·       It was noted that there had been 14,800 repairs this year but that this included both minor and more major works. There had been a backlog since Covid due to labour and supply chain delays and a team monitored the progress carefully.

·       Triaging of repair needs. Members were advised that emergencies should be dealt with within 4 to 24 hours and use of the digital interface was encouraged to allow residents to track progress.  There was ongoing work to ensure the data was sound and prioritised safety.

·       Benchmarking of satisfaction and complaints. It was noted that this was not currently possible but that consumer regulation was coming into the sector and from 2023/24 KPIs would be collected and published. This would include hard data as well as customer perception. This would be valuable for the organisation too and enable shared learning across the sector.

·       How the gateway model supported community resilience. The committee was advised that it enabled representation and the gateway tenants were supported well by the team. Part of Watford Community Housing’s role was to promote community cohesion. This included engaging with residents’ associations, supporting events and tenants’ question time.

·       The rationale behind the mix of social and market housing in WCH’s development programme. WCH had a mixed tenure development programme and social rent properties featured highly. Shared ownership was being developed in some areas as there was a need to help young people join the housing ladder. The sale of market housing cross-subsidised the affordable housing priority. All new developments were assessed for viability to ensure the stability of WCH.

·       The demand for shared ownership. It was noted that the inclusion of shared ownership properties in developments was data driven and was successful in blended tenure developments. Demand had outstripped supply in recent developments and WCH were working with local employers to raise awareness of the opportunities.

·       How repairs were closed. Members were advised that first time fix was an important focus for the team. Residents were encouraged to send photos or videos to ensure the nature of the issue was understood. Post-repair checks were undertaken to ensure quality. The approach was also data-driven and satisfaction surveys were used to drive learning and identify training needs.

·       How tenants were educated on damp and mould. The committee noted that the information for tenants was under review and all new tenants were provided with a leaflet around ventilation. Damp and mould kits were provided as well as advice about trickle vents. There had been changes since Covid with a heightened awareness of air quality and more people working from home.

·       Response to antisocial behaviour (ASB). Members were advised that there was a housing officer structure where every neighbourhood had an officer who was the first point of contact. ASB was often a series of complex issues which were outside of WCH’s remit but they worked with other partners to support and signpost and they could intervene if there was significant disruption.

·       Ensuring residents were empowered to know their rights. WCH worked to ensure tenants were informed which was the responsibility of all landlords.

Members agreed that they would like to propose a scrutiny task group for the new municipal year looking at standards in housing to include a variety of providers. A scope would be developed with members and officers.

RESOLVED –

1. that the presentation be noted.

2. that a scrutiny task group be established to review housing standards.