Agenda and minutes

  The Chair welcomed everyone to the first meeting of Housing Advisory Board in the Council’s new committee room and asked Board Members and Officers to introduce themselves

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct

  There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest

To receive any apologies for absence

  Apologies for absence had been received from David Glew, Andrew Feldhaus and Matthew Walker

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Housing Advisory Board held on 9^th July 2015

(Copy attached)

  RESOLVED -  That the minutes of the Housing Advisory Board meeting held on 9^th July 2015 be approved subject to the following amendments:

  The inclusion of the names of all of the attendees present at the meeting

  Minute 11 relating to Environmental Improvement Programme Update to include after ‘ Councillor Ritchie questioned the spread of projects, suggesting more might be targeted to reduce inequality and deprivation across the city’ the words ‘ and that the spend ought to be proportionate to the Council house stock levels’

  Minute 11 relating to Environmental Improvement Programme Update to amend the typing error in the 5^th paragraph

To consider any matters arising/ outstanding issues and actions from the previous minutes.

(Report attached)

  The following matters arising/actions from the minutes were highlighted:

  Minute 12 – Contract Strategy and future of Construction Services

  The Board was informed that approval had now been received to the new pay proposals for staff

  Housing Leeds Capital Financial Position Period 2 2015/16 – Minute 8 – 9^th July 2015 meeting

  That work was continuing to provide information to the Board on a Ward basis, with this being circulated to Members within the next few weeks

  Environmental Improvement Programme Update – Minute 11 – 9^th July 2015 meeting

  Councillor Hamilton thanked Officers for the information which had been provided to her on this matter and queried whether all of the works had been completed by projected period of the end of Summer 2015.  The Chief Officer Housing Management stated that she would provide further information on this directly to Councillor Hamilton

To consider a report by the Director of Environment and Housing which provides a financial position statement on the HRA Housing Leeds Capital programme at period 4 for the financial year 2015/16.

(Report attached)

The Director of Environment and Housing presented a report setting out the financial position statement on the HRA Housing Leeds Capital programme at period 4 for the financial year 2015/16

The Head of Finance, Environment and Housing presented the report and responded to queries and comments from the Board

  Members discussed the report with the key issues being raised relating to:

·  the reasons for the adjustment to the budget

·  the level of uncommitted funding and the timescales for this to be committed

·  new build and the possibility of specifying which properties would include accommodation for older people

·  the inclusion of Rosemont under ‘Other Planned’ as no decision had yet been taken on this

·  the number of small, Council owned sites which were to be disposed of and whether the potential of such sites was being considered

·  the possibility of achieving some new build in the Wetherby area

The Board was informed that the adjustment of the budget down to

circa £75m had been based largely on the capacity in the service to ensure all the work was delivered.  There was a need to plan for constancy and the aim was to plan for circa £80m for the next 3 years

  In terms of new build, the programme covered the period up to 2018, and in terms of uncommitted funds, Officers were looking at areas of Leeds where there was high demand but currently little supply

  It was accepted that in terms of Rosemont, no final decision on this had been reached but that provision had been made to support a new build option

  In respect of utilising Council owned sites, the Board was informed that all sites were being considered.  A particular difficulty was the need to balance where high demand existed with affordability and where land values were high, new build was difficult to deliver, as in Wetherby.  However, working with other Council Departments, a prospectus was being drawn up for developers, to indicate where there was unmet need, particularly for extra care facilities to encourage developers to meet this need

  RESOLVED -  To note the Housing Leeds and BITMO refurbishment programme and Housing Leeds Council House Growth programme position at period 4, 2015/16

To consider a report of the Director of Environment and Housing which provides an update on the revenue financial position for the Housing Leeds (HRA) service as at the end of July 2015.

(Report attached)

The Director of Environment and Housing presented a report updating the Board on the revenue financial position for the Housing Leeds (HRA) service as at the end of July 2015

A summary of the Key Variances in respect of income and expenditure were outlined in the submitted report together with information on the level of Right to Buy sales

The Head of Finance, Environment and Housing presented the report and responded to queries and comments

Board Members discussed the report with the main areas of debate relating to:

·  rent collection rates

·  rent arrears and the level of support given to assist people in this

·  the level of Right to Buy sales and the impact of these on housing stock levels going forward

·  PFI and that further information particularly on the level of income from this was required

The Board was informed of the level of work which had been done to

ensure rent collection was maximised, including working in partnership with Revenue and Benefits colleagues and setting targets for each housing manager.  In terms of assistance to people who were experiencing difficulties in paying their rent a range of different mechanisms were being considered as were the development of new approaches, especially for those people with variable incomes.  In terms of the collection rates for August, the Board was informed these showed an improvement with the collection rate being reported as 96.36%

  On the issue of Right to Buy sales, the Director of Environment and Housing stated there was a legal obligation to respond to requests from tenants to purchase their property, however, despite the increase incentives introduced by Central Government, the number of sales had not risen dramatically.  It was noted that for each property sold, the Council received a level of funding, however, this sum did not cover the cost of a new build

  RESOLVED -  To note the contents of the report

To consider a report by the Director of Environment and Housing which provides a summary of the most recent performance data against the new six Housing Leeds priorities and informs the Board of progress with the development performance measures and dashboards for each priority.  The purpose of the dashboards and extended range of performance measures is to give greater insight on matters that affect tenants and to help to put service performance into context.

(Report attached)

Housing Advisory Board considered a report of the Director of Environment and Housing summarising the latest available performance against measures relating to the new six Housing Leeds priorities which had been agreed by the Board.  The report also highlighted the ongoing development of the relevant performances measures and included statistical and graphical information in the form of dashboards to illustrate the work being undertaken and to provide useful context.  Members were informed of an error in the report relating to the figures in the end column of the dashboard relating to priority 1

The Head of Resources, Housing and Strategy presented the report and outlined the current position in relation to each of the Housing Leeds Priorities, (referring the Board to other agenda items that provided further information on particular performance areas).  The following information being provided:

·  Priority 3 – Housing People – homeless preventions were exceptionally high and Leeds was a top performer in relation to comparator authorities.  Councillor Ritchie welcomed the provision of additional information on Homelessness assessment outcomes and commended this performance.  In relation to re-lets the number of days had reduced and the cumulative average was now 33 days

·  Priority 4 – Repairs – that in general a steady performance was being achieved although not quite to target, and there were some issues in one geographical area which were being addressed

·  Priority 6 – Knowing Our Tenants – that the Department was above its target for Annual Home Visits

In terms of apprenticeships the Chair welcomed the hard work which

had been undertaken on this

  The Board considered the report and commented on a range of issues, with the key areas of discussion relating to:

·  re-let times, with Officers advising that work to speed up the process was being undertaken through a more collective approach, with the figures for July showing an average re-let time of 27 days

·  the possibility of highlighting the financial benefits achieved through shorter re-let times

·  disrepair claims – the work being undertaken to reduce these with better management and increased resources, including picking up issues through the annual visit

·  the target for completion of repairs correctly first time and the associated costs of this.  The Board was informed that Officers were looking at how targets were managed across different contractors

·  the use of local firms by contractors, with the Board being advised that contractors were actively encouraged to use local firms and local labour wherever possible and practical

At this point Councillor Hamilton brought to the attention of the Board

 that she had recently been involved in dealing with a long-standing repair issue for a family member

·  whether tenants were referred to other agencies if additional support was considered necessary.  The Chief Officer, Housing Management advised that Housing Leeds had a duty to provide advice and support and was currently undertaking work on this together with a review of the work carried out by the Tenancy Sustainment Officers, with further information being made available to Members if required

·  Housing Advisory Panel  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

To consider a report by the Director of Environment and Housing which provides details of the Key Welfare Changes, implications from the recent Budget and sets out the preparations for Universal Credit.

(Report attached)

The Director of Environment and Housing submitted a report informing Housing Advisory Board of the key welfare changes; implications from the recent Budget and the preparations being made for the implementation of Universal Credit which would be introduced in Leeds on 1^st February 2016.  Appended to the report was a copy of the Housing Leeds Action Plan 2015-2016 relating to welfare reforms and the introduction of Universal Credit and a summary report of the financial implications of the Chancellor’s July budget statement

  Officers presented the report and informed the Board that initially around 60-80 tenants per month would be affected by the changes, however this would increase with around 24,000 tenants likely to be affected by the welfare reform changes

  In terms of the provision of support to those who would be affected, teams of dedicated Officers were being developed who would provide support through access to IT and help with finding employment.  In addition an action plan had been developed around communication and training for staff

  The Board discussed the report, with the following issues being raised:

·  the extent to which tenants affected by Under Occupation were seeking to be rehoused or were accepting reductions in Housing Benefit

·  the cessation of Housing Benefit for those aged 18-20 and whether exceptions would be made for those young people leaving care.  Members were informed that details of any exceptions had not yet been provided by DWP

·  whether any information was available from other Local Authorities where Universal Credit had already been introduced.  The Board was informed that a visit to Oldham Council was to take place and that a report on the findings of that visit could be brought to a future meeting

·  the need for a representative from the Council’s Benefits Service to attend a further meeting to provide information to the Board including on direct payments.  Particular concern was raised about the in-built delay of 5-6 weeks before the first payment of Universal Credit was made and the fact that claims would no longer be backdated to 6 months but to 4 weeks.  Members were informed that although a mechanism existed whereby payments could be taken directly by the Council this would only be possible after people had already fallen into arrears and of the list of priority debts set out by DWP, rent was not a top priority

·  the cost to the Council of the additional staffing required to provide support.  The Director of Environment and Housing advised that whilst there would be an additional cost the decision to provide this support was an economically sensible one

·  how people with particular needs would be supported.  Officers advised that for those people an holistic approach would be taken which looked at the needs of individuals

·  how tenants would be involved in the work being undertaken with the Board being advised this would be through VITAL

·  the number of other sections within the Council which were working on these changes and that a Scrutiny Inquiry was also taking place  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

To consider a report by the Director of Environment and Housing which provides an update on progress made in the development of tenant involvement and the newly formed citywide groups, their names and strategic priorities.

(Report attached)

Housing Advisory Board considered a report of the Director of Environment and Housing which provided details of the progress being made in the development of tenant involvement and the newly formed city-wide groups together with details of their strategic priorities.  Appended to the report was a diagram showing the relationships and reporting structure of the Tenant Involvement Service; the draft terms of reference of the Strategic Tenants Body and a copy of the 2014-2015 Annual Report by the Cross City Chairs Group of the Housing Advisory Panels

Officers presented the report and outlined the key developments which had occurred since this matter was last reported to the Board in May 2015

Members were informed that the overall framework was being embedded; that VITAL – the new strategic tenant body – had been formalised and had met on three occasions

Concerns were raised about work being undertaken by a theology student from Leeds University on a project around the religion or belief of LCC tenants; the cost of this to Housing Leeds; how such information would be of benefit especially as statistical data around this subject already existed.  The Board was informed no direct costs would be incurred by Housing Leeds and that the Department had been approached by Leeds University; that such information could be of use in respect of engagement and more practical issues relating to, for example, the layout of kitchens where certain requirements existed. 

  Concerns continued to be raised about the need for Officers to be involved at some level in the report which would be produced and that there were many more pressing issues for Officers to focus on

  The successful work with TARAs in the Bramley area was reported, and that the local Tenant Engagement Officer had played a key role in this success.  The Board was informed that the first TARA Panel would meet on Friday 11^th September 

  A typing error in paragraph 4.2 of the submitted report was highlighted

  In responding to points which had been raised, the Director of Environment and Housing stated that a significant amount of work had been done with staff on engagement with the wide range of groups which formed Housing Leeds’ tenants but that further work was required on this, especially how best to engage with younger people

  RESOLVED -  That Housing Advisory Board recognises the new city-wide strategic groups and supports the overall approach and direction of travel to create an engaged and representative tenant base within Leeds

To consider a report by the Director of Environment and Housing which provides an update on the progress made to improve tenant satisfaction.

(Report attached)

The Director of Environment and Housing presented a report updating the Board on progress which had been made to improve tenant satisfaction in line with Housing Leeds’ primary priority of fundamentally increasing tenant satisfaction.  Appended to the report was a copy of the Council’s Customer Access Strategy upon which Housing Leeds’ action plan would be based

The Board was informed that Housing Leeds’ offer to its customers was being examined, with some elements of self-service being introduced which would also free up staff to offer a more personalised approach where this was needed.  Staff training was also being undertaken to ensure that all customer-facing staff had received similar training to that in Customer Services and that they also had the skills and tools to provide what was required.  In terms of monitoring the strategy, the quality of the experience would be considered

Members commented on the report in relation to routine concerns relating to the length of time tenants had to wait until telephone calls were answered and whether in terms of service delivery, this was carried out to fit around the tenants.  The method of how quality would be monitored was also raised

The Board was informed that work had been taking place with the Contact Centre on telephone response rates and that improvements to this could be made.  On the issue of hours of operation, it was accepted that Housing Leeds needed to extend their hours more to suit their tenants

On the issue of monitoring of quality, a range of measures would be used, including involving tenants groups and through the biannual tenant satisfaction survey

The Chair welcomed the report and the work which was being done to improve access for tenants and hoped this would in turn translate to higher satisfaction rates in the next tenants survey

RESOLVED -  i) To approve the approach as set out in the submitted report

  ii) That an update on this issue be provided to the Board together with details on how the differing age ranges of tenants could be addressed in terms of the best way in which to engage with the different groups

To consider a report by the Director of Environment and Housing which provides an overview of recent changes in the way this service is provided, look at the current performance and ways to provide further service integration and improve the customer experience.

(Report attached)

The Director of Environment and Housing presented a report which provided Housing Advisory Board with an overview of recent changes in the way the housing adaptation service was provided , including detail on current performance and ways in which further service integration and improved customer experience could be achieved

  RESOLVED -  To note the report

To note/ amend the contents of the Housing Advisory Board Forward Plan 2015/16

(Report attached)

The Board considered the contents of the Housing Advisory Board Forward Plan for 2015

Items for the next meeting for consideration included The Community Lettings Policy and the High Rise Project.  The Chair also suggested that the tenant/leaseholder representatives on the Board be asked to provide updates on the work they were doing

A request for information to be provided to Councillor Hamilton on the individual projects for the high rise blocks was noted

RESOLVED -  That the contents of the Housing Advisory Board Forward Plan for 2015 be noted

  Concerns were raised that in some cases the papers for this meeting had been received at short notice with a request being made that the papers were delivered to Board Members rather than being sent through the post

  The Clerk apologised for this and said that whilst the papers had been sent out in good time for the meeting, the Bank Holiday could have contributed to the papers being received late.  The Chair asked that this be monitored and if delays continued to occur that an alternative method of delivery by considered

To note that future meetings of the Board will be arranged as follows:

·  Tuesday 10^th November 2015

·  Tuesday 2^nd February 2016

·  Tuesday 26^th April 2016

All meetings to take place in the Civic Hall, Leeds commencing at 5.00pm

  Tuesday 10^th November 2015 at 5.00pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds