Allocations & Lettings Sounding Board Update - Festival Housing

Allocations & Lettings Sounding Board Update
Update Originator:
Gay Lloyd, Housing Options Manager
July 2012
Introduction
We are currently focussing on under occupation and the impacts of Welfare Reform on how
we allocate our homes and sustain tenancies.
Mutual
Exchanges
HOUSING
WAITING
LIST/CHOICE
BASED
LETTINGS
SCHEMES
HOUSING
ADVICE AND
HOMELESSNESS
There are currently 603 residents registered with HomeSwapper for a
mutual exchange and during week commencing 20 th July, 196 logged in
to view their possible matches. Of those registered with HomeSwapper
72 are recorded as under occupying their homes and 91 state they are
overcrowded. We have achieved 71 moves using HomeSwapper since
going live of which 15 have been under occupiers. This is a good self
help tool which relieves pressure on housing waiting lists.
The waiting lists remain largely unchanged in size but both Home Point
and Home Choice Plus will be or have reviewed their allocations policies
both for Welfare Reform and for the Localism Act. Festival will be
arranging focus groups to discuss the opportunities the Localism Act
offers us and we hope you will join us to have an input to the decision
making. During September the Malvern based team will be carrying out a
full review of all applications on Home Choice Plus. This involves
reviewing in excess of 3,200 applications and is a significant piece of work
which will ensure that the register is up to date and in line with the new
Home Choice Plus policy. Applicants will be advised of any changes to
their banding.
The Malvern based Housing Options Team made 14 homeless decisions
during the first quarter of this year and of that only 11 were owed a legal
duty for housing. Two households were non-priority and one intentionally
homeless. We prevented 70 households from becoming homeless.
Due to the development of an Extra Care Scheme in Malvern we no
longer have access to eight units of emergency housing for families facing
homelessness. Due to the proactive work of the team we have been able
to reduce the number units needed to four and these will be located within
our main housing stock in Malvern. These units are furnished but are
occupied on a licence for short periods of time. Having these units means
that we do not have to place families in bed and breakfast
accommodation.
LETTINGS
SATISFACTION
When we carry out our six week new tenancy visit we complete a lettings
survey asking customers if they were satisfied with the lettings process.
This is an overarching question with more detailed questions to follow
within the survey. Satisfaction has dropped significantly during the first
quarter and we need to ensure that the more detailed analysis is carried
out urgently.

DECANT
PROJECTS
VOID
PERFORMANCE
Festival have two significant re-development projects at the present time.
In Malvern we are delivering an Extra Scheme on a site which includes
Brookside and Gloucester Close. I am pleased to report that all the
households have either now secured their own accommodation or the
Housing Options Team have assisted within privately rented housing or
within Festival housing stock.
In Hartlebury we are demolishing three blocks of flats and replacing
with sustainable housing units including both flats and houses. I
am pleased to report that out of 35 households, only 2 have yet to be
found alternative accommodation. This site has also now secured full
planning permission.
General needs target - 17.0 days
Older Persons housing target - 40 days.
First quarter actual performance – General Needs 18.3 days
First quarter actual performance – Older Persons 37.6 days.
We have experienced difficulties in allocating some properties where
a local connection to a parish is required and where there has been
a history of anti social behaviour within a locality. We are determined
to do our utmost to ensure that any letting is sustainable and will exclude
from housing with Festival those who are guilty of anti social behaviour
and have housing related debts that they are not dealing with. However,
we will work with people to provide support and advocacy where needed.
Whilst general needs performance is not within target we remain confident
that it will be improved upon as the year progresses.
NEW BUILD
We have just completed allocations of new homes in Worcester and
future allocations will include :-
- Little Dewchurch (3 x 3 bed houses)
- Brockhill, Colwall (1 x 6 bed house, 1 x 3 bed house)
- Norton Barracks, Norton (1 x 2 bed bungalow, 2 x 2 bed flats,
2 x 2 bed houses, 2 x 3 bed houses)
- The Furlongs, Holmer (5 x 3 bed houses, 1 x 4 bed house).
What Next?

We will over the current quarter :-
- Continue to identify and support moves to those who are under occupying family
housing using mutual exchanges and the Choice Based Lettings schemes.
- Work closely with the Home Improvement Agency to facilitate moves to more
suitable accommodation. We have just completed two moves out of family
housing into bungalows for single gentlemen following significant spells in hospital
and respite care.
- Work with other Festival teams on the impact of the Welfare Reform Act on our
residents. We have drafted an action plan to ensure that residents affected by the
changes are fully aware and also what support may be available from ourselves or
the Local Authority.
- Continue to maintain void performance and improve lettings satisfaction.
Contact details
Gay Lloyd 01684 579347 – Housing Options Manager for Festival
glloyd@festivalhousing.org