Rent arrears management practices in the housing association sector

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1.4 Research methodology The research involves the following elements: i. Literature review ii. Interviews with key national stakeholders iii. Interviews with legal professionals – national law firms iv. Secondary data analysis v. National survey of housing associations vi. Detailed case study work focused on a small number of selected HAs vii. Interviews with legal professionals – duty desk advisors at local courts Literature review The literature review covered a wide range of sources including regulatory and good practice guidance, case-law and research reports – the latter encompassing both studies commissioned by central government and work undertaken for third sector agencies . 22 Interviews with key national stakeholders and national law firms Interviews were conducted with representatives from ten national organisations, including one major lender to the HA sector . The organisations were: • National Housing Federation • Chartered Institute of Housing • Communities and Local Government • Tenant Services Authority • Council of Mortgage Lenders • Shelter • Citizens Advice • Audit Commission Housing Inspectorate • Housing Quality Network • A lender The interviews were mainly conducted by telephone and lasted 25-90 minutes . Three organisations declined the opportunity to participate on the basis that they had little, if anything, useful to add (Advice Services Alliance; Department for Work and Pensions; Ministry of Justice) .
The purpose of these interviews was to identify trends in rent arrears management practices, to gauge perceptions as to the factors underlying the reduction in the use of possession proceedings by associations, and to sound out views on the case for and against the retention of the mandatory ground for possession, Ground 8 . In addition interviews were conducted with three senior solicitors from law firms who each represent a large number of HAs . In each case the solicitor was responsible for housing management and/ or litigation . While they were often no longer directly involved in possession proceedings, they provided training to clients on the legal aspects of possession, dealt with those cases which proved “difficult” and generally advised clients on matters such as tenancy conditions and possession policies . They were each located in different cities, and thus had a different geographical focus for the majority of their clients . The purpose of the interviews was much as for the key stakeholders, but was more focused on recent developments in relation to legal proceedings and processes, rather than management practices . Secondary data analysis The main sources for the secondary data analysis were the former Housing Corporation’s RSR and CORE datasets . The former is an annual return submitted by all registered HAs and containing statistics on the numbers of possession actions undertaken by the relevant association as well as a wide range of useful contextual data such as the association’s size and type . The latter is a case return system which collects a range of data in relation to every letting made by all registered HAs (and most local authorities) . Of particular relevance to this research, each record includes details of the reason that the property became available for letting . And, with eviction forming one of these “void reasons” it is possible to treat this as a proxy measure of evictions undertaken by each association . Rent arrears management practices in the housing association sector 23
Page 1 and 2: Rent arrears management practices i
Page 3 and 4: Contents Executive summary . . . .
Page 5 and 6: Executive summary Introduction This
Page 7 and 8: Key underlying factors were said to
Page 9 and 10: could, in part, reflect the growing
Page 11 and 12: overpayments and suspensions were p
Page 13 and 14: Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Backgrou
Page 15 and 16: arrears management and related aspe
Page 17 and 18: “… there may occasionally be ci
Page 19 and 20: under Article 8 of the Convention,
Page 21 and 22: y HAs . 37 The Circular informed as
Page 23: Pre-action protocol for possession
Page 27 and 28: Table 1.1 - Case Study HAs Organisa
Page 29 and 30: Chapter 2 Rent arrears management p
Page 31 and 32: Pawson et al’s study found that 9
Page 33 and 34: 2.3 Rent arrears management practic
Page 35 and 36: this with any certainty . 69 Howeve
Page 37 and 38: authority can also lead to a lack o
Page 39 and 40: 2.5 The use of Ground 8 Although th
Page 41 and 42: In the Hunter et al study, 97 which
Page 43 and 44: some comment on the effect of the P
Page 45 and 46: • Ground 8 provided certainty to
Page 47 and 48: There was a difference of opinion a
Page 49 and 50: 3.3 The use of Ground 8 Whereas ans
Page 51 and 52: do so early enough, or at all . Cla
Page 53 and 54: Chapter 4 Rent collection and arrea
Page 55 and 56: 4.3 Housing Benefit service perform
Page 57 and 58: Table 4.3 - Housing association evi
Page 59 and 60: As shown in Figure 4 .1, CORE data
Page 61 and 62: were collected for landlords with l
Page 63 and 64: Most associations report initiating
Page 65 and 66: 5.2 Organisation of rent arrears ma
Page 67 and 68: Table 5.2 - Primary structure of ar
Page 69 and 70: Table 5.3 - Recent changes in organ
Page 71 and 72: Table 5.6 - Staff training provisio
Page 73 and 74: Within the transfer landlord cohort
Page 75 and 76:
• Where arrears were accrued befo
Page 77 and 78:
Table 5.9 - Estimated percentage of
Page 79 and 80:
elatively high response rate achiev
Page 81 and 82:
The survey sought to collect statis
Page 83 and 84:
Ground 8 actions typically accounte
Page 85 and 86:
How is the scale of Ground 8 use ch
Page 87 and 88:
already routinely exercising the ac
Page 89 and 90:
Chapter 6 Case study evidence Chapt
Page 91 and 92:
Annex 2 outlines our method, includ
Page 93 and 94:
a couple of weeks to three months)
Page 95 and 96:
to officers and policies . Officers
Page 97 and 98:
RM put it, “caused uproar from te
Page 99 and 100:
preferred form of the organisation
Page 101 and 102:
tenant contacts are now recorded on
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as a result, would make an order un
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use - in these cases, it is viewed
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g) The tenant perspective In each c
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Ground 8 was generally to scrutinis
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Ground 8 was said to be used as a
Page 113 and 114:
The key stakeholders regarded the P
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ule it would not be used where HB w
Page 117 and 118:
Table A1.1 - Evicted households by
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uncontactable as a result) . Where
Page 121 and 122:
Just under half of all cases in the
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Annex 2 Case study HA selection Our
Page 125 and 126:
Annex 3 Profile of case study housi
Page 127 and 128:
However, after a review across its
Page 129 and 130:
as developing joint working with th
Page 131 and 132:
Annex 4 Case study topic guides HA
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19. What has been your recent exper
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12. How are your tenants helped wit
Page 137 and 138:
9. If RSLs rely on Ground 8, what i
Page 139 and 140:
4 Tenant employment circumstances (
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10 Value (£) of arrears at defined
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Our offices Maple House 149 Tottenh
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