Agenda item

To present the report of the Head of Housing Services.

The report of the Head of Housing Services which provided an update on progress to date on implementing the recommendations of the Scrutiny Task and Finish Group on Housing Services voids and allocations was presented for the committee’s consideration.

The report was introduced by Councillor Robin Williams, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Finance and Housing as an interim report documenting actions taken to date.

The Head of Housing Services confirmed that a great deal of work had been undertaken since the establishment of the Task and Finish Group and that the group’s recommendations are receiving attention through the void turnaround improvement action plan as set out under annexe 2 to the report which charts agreed improvement tasks and timescales. The service is of the view that more time is needed to see the impact of the results achieved on performance indicators following the work of the task and the finish group and the resulting interventions put in place by the Housing Service.

The Portfolio Member and Head of Housing Services responded to matters raised in the ensuing discussion as follows –

• Acknowledged the importance of keeping prospective tenants informed about changes and/or progress related to their housing including timescales if they are waiting to take up a confirmed tenancy. Former council properties that have been reacquired by the Council will not be let immediately until all necessary works are completed to ensure they are up to standard upon allocation.
• Confirmed that additional resources have been put into the service to address the challenges identified by the Task and Finish Group and drive performance improvement against the indicators for void property turnaround and re-letting of properties. A Voids Supervisor has been appointed as has a Maintenance Information Systems Officer. An additional painter and decorator has been recruited along with two additional contractors to carry out major work on void properties. The status of void properties is tracked and monitored.
• Confirmed that the challenge of meeting the requirements of the new tranche of Welsh Quality Housing Standards 2023 as well resource limitations mean that there is little scope for addressing issues with private sector housing/substandard properties.
• Clarified that the discrepancy between performance between Quarters 1 and 2 with regard to the number of days taken to turnaround a void property (26 days and 49 days respectively) was due to the availability of resources and number of properties dealt with in the first quarter, with more properties coming through to be completed in the second quarter including properties that had been empty for a period of time involving more works thereby driving up the average turnaround/re-letting time.

Following discussion, it was resolved –

• To note the report as an interim report on progress to date following the recommendations made by the task and finish group on void turnaround and days taken to re-let properties.
• To note the void turnaround improvement action plan as set out under annexe 2 to the report.

Additional action - to ask the Head of Housing Services to provide the committee with a further progress report to the end of Quarter 2, to include confirmation of the actions completed and their success in meeting the challenges and objectives identified.