BHCC Housing has been carrying out a review of the laundry service, which is available at 14 sites in the city, since June 2024.
We are carrying out the review to firstly understand how many residents use the service, and secondly what their circumstances are. For example, are they using the laundries for convenience, health or disability reasons, lack of space in their flat for a machine, or financial reasons. Housing is aware that the laundries are not used as much as they have been in the past. A total of 1674 households are eligible to use the 14 laundries. However, our understanding is that only 100-150 households actually do.
We spoke to people via seven resident meetings, direct correspondence (with translations as required) with identified users, posters displayed in all the laundries. Surveys (with self-addressed envelopes) were included with this and so distributed widely, and emails were also used. At four of the laundries there is no entry via a fob, so identifying users isn’t possible. We therefore wrote to the entire four blocks. By these methods we sought to identify and connect with as many users as possible.
We have spoken to a large number of people at resident meetings and received 136 completed surveys from this and our correspondence. At resident meetings and via correspondence we have communicated that no decision has been taken on the future of the laundries, but their closure is something that we will consider due to the apparent underuse.
We found out that the numbers of households using the laundries is within our expectations. There have been a variety of circumstances reported by residents. We asked what residents would do if the laundries were no longer available. Some people reported they rely heavily on the laundry being available in their block, due to health reasons and others would find it difficult to afford a machine in their home. Other residents would be ok with installing a machine at home or use the laundrette.
A review report has been created and this will be discussed at a Housing Leadership Team (HLT) meeting in November 2024.
No decision to date has been made on the long-term future of the laundries. They are available, free of charge, as usual.
Residents and Area Panels will be kept informed.
There is no decision regarding whether any changes will happen or not, therefore no timescale.