Issue - items at meetings - Housing Management Performance Report Quarter 3 2014/15

77.1    The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing which set out the performance for the third quarter of the financial year 2014/15.  The report was presented by the Head of Tenancy Services.  

77.2    Members were informed that there was an error on item 6 of paragraph 4.2 – Property & Investment.  Q3 2013/14 should read 93.51% (1,195 of 1278).  There were two red symbols relating to re-let times as set out in paragraph 4.1.  Paragraph 4.1.1 explained the reasons for the red symbols.  Meanwhile Appendix 2 of the report showed that long term empty properties had reduced from an average of 20 properties a year to 5 a year.  There were 6 amber symbols which were explained in paragraphs 4.2.1 and 4.3.1.     

77.3    The Chair mentioned that there were circumstances where properties were empty long term.  The Head of Tenancy Services explained that more than two thirds of empty properties were the result of court action (people in arrears).  Officers actively worked on all these cases.

77.4    Councillor Peltzer Dunn stated that he was grateful for the expanded information with regard to paragraph 4.0.2 – Tenants in arrears by amount.  However he found it depressing that there were arrears of £1000 or more in relation to 187 tenants.  He felt that questions needed to be asked regarding the range of arrears and the action that was being taken.  Councillor Peltzer Dunn referred to paragraph 4.2 of the report in relation to dwellings meeting decent homes standard.  He noted that 3 properties were no longer decent.  The Head of Tenancy Services replied that the three properties required new external doors.     

77.5    Councillor Mears was aware that some tenants were moving out of properties which they sub-let to students.  The Head of Tenancy Services replied that an additional member of staff had been added to the Tenancy Fraud Team.  Any queries regarding fraud should be emailed to Tony Barnard, Corporate Fraud Manager.

77.6    RESOLVED - (1)      That the report, a summary of which went to the Area Panels in January and February 2015 be noted, along with the comments of the Committee.