Minutes:
Dennis Moody, Chair of the Outer South HAP discusses Housing Advisory Panels.
DM explained that each HAP can have up to 12 members and local councillors, there are currently 99 members throughout all the HAPs, so not all are full.
The number of councillors sitting on a HAP depends on how many wards there are in each area For example, 3 wards = 3 councillors.
Panels are mainly made up of housing tenants, they run the meetings and have the final say. HAP budget comes from council rents and is currently 405k per year, 202.5k is split evenly between 11 HAPs. Other 202.5k is split dependant on how many council dwellings in each area.
During 21/22 HAPs committed 396k over 193 bids throughout the whole of Leeds. Main criteria for any bid is it benefits council tenants.. HAPs give money to various groups, for example, Beeston in Bloom, Bramley Care Bears etc. When we are unable to approve the bid, we will encourage groups to go for alternative funding, such as Wellbeing Fund or similar. Bids can also be submitted by individuals.
The HAPs meet 6 times per year, owing to Covid 19 some HAPs do face to face meetings in summer and online in winter, so people aren’t coming out in the cold. Application form is in depth, before it gets to HAPs, they are checked to make sure it has been completed correctly. Each HAP has a Tenant Engagement Officer who coordinates everything.
JG – So HAPs don’t decide the criteria, as all are checked by Housing Leeds staff before being passed to your panel for consideration?
DM – If application is not filled out correctly, we will send back for clarification. We had one last night that was not clear enough, so we deferred until next meeting. Sometimes we want more detail.
JG – Does your HAP know what the criteria is?
IM – It can be difficult to plainly explain the criteria, if you look at a plan on a page for each area, they each have different priorities unique to the area, any application needs to demonstrate how it meets the criteria on the plan on a page. A Tenant Engagement Officer will check the application is meeting criteria before it is presented to the panel. HAP can and will still ask questions and defer for more information. These checks are in place before it gets to HAP to mitigate time wasting at meetings and checklist might identify any holes in applications.
DM – For example, an application wanted a type of barrier on public footpath, and we’re not allowed to use them, as have to make access for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. The reason for the bid was wanting to stop quad bikes but can’t use the type of barriers anymore which would prevent them.
PG – Another example is mushrooms on pavements, they are no longer used as the visually impaired can’t see them.
JG – Those you can consider, do any HAP’s ask how many have been turned down?
DM – I know myself, and the Chair of each panel should ask for that information.
IM – We don’t turn down any application, we make sure it meets one of the criteria.
JG – So if the application for example is for a fence, is there a point where that money should come from council budget? Who comes to you and asks for that?
IM – The difficult position is that council budgets are very tight, and we have managed to protect the HAP budget, a discretionary pot of money to decide what needs to be invested in community projects, often at some HAP’s there will be a debate we could spend £2,000 but the landlord should be paying for that directly. Housing Leeds don’t disagree with that analysis, but the work can’t be done at that time. We had an application for £4,000 to paint some railings on an estate – we said it’s in our painting programme, but in 3 years’ time, LCC painting budget isn’t huge but will be done eventually, so it is taken to the HAP for the panel to decide if they want to fund the project to get it done earlier than the planned programme. Ultimately it is the same budget - the Housing Revenue Account..
IM – About half of the HAP fund goes to internal Council departments such as Parks & Countryside etc, the other half goes to community projects, organisations, food banks, residential groups, youth projects etc. Not that the HAP is doing things that landlord should do, HAPs are prioritising work and can make it happen faster.
JG – When a bid comes in, if this job can be done by council, does the bid consider labour, H&S, where fencing going, etc.?
DM – Yes. All of the contractors costs are met. Bids are rejected due to it being the responsibility of another council dept, housing or even the tenant to maintain ie gardens or communal grass areas.
JG – Has the project got to be completed in one go/financial year or can it be a split bid? For example, if my project is going to take 2 years?
DM – Bids can be split, has been done in the past.
NB – Do you find some wards have more bids more than others?
DM – We keep a track of all wards and defer bids when they have applied too much. All 3 wards get the quota.
NB – When certain areas don’t get the same number of bids, are you asking why are you not bidding? The problems need identifying.
DM – if bids aren’t coming in from certain areas, Councillors area aware and promote the fund and the Housing Officers are also asked to consider any improvements on their patch.
NB – Do you work with other outside agencies?
DM – Yes we work closely with Police and local Councillors.
DM – We also ask for feedback on applications and want evaluations to see how certain things have gone, has it stopped what it was supposed to? In certain areas full of snickets for example we can’t block them off because it’s a right of way, and there are back gardens leading on to snickets or the Council need access at back of properties so we can’t block them off. We don’t just look at the bid we look at what happens after the money is awarded does it solve the problem?
JG – What do you do as a panel when you have no money left?
PG – When funds have gone for the year there are other things the HAP discusses, they monitor local housing office performance, Housing Officers deliver performance reviews. Can spend time with Police regarding crime in the area and ASB levels.
IM – We would never ask for fly tipping to removed by HAPs but what we do go to the HAP with is preventative.
JG – A lot of this money doesn’t leave the council; how many do you turn down? A rough percentage?
DM – 1 turned down last night for example and a few others deferred for more information.
JG – Do you get influence from councillors?
DM – No.
JG – What is the average bid amount?
DM – Around £4,000.
NB – Now community payback is disbanded, did you get a good return on their work?
DM – Yes, one ward got a great return from community payback. When a job is completed, we will go and have a look to ensure work is to a good standard.
JG closes for questions on Housing Advisory Panels.