Agenda item

Report of Cabinet Member for Better Homes

This report sets out commentary and actions in response to Councillor Slater’s Cabinet Advisor report on Improving Services to Camden Leaseholders and Advocating for Leaseholders.

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Member Better Homes, as set out in the supplementary agenda.

Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali, Cabinet Member Better Homes, took the meeting through the report and she along with Glendine Shepherd, Director of Housing and Sean Scott, Head of Leaseholder Services and Housing Income, gave the following key responses to questions:

·       The service would been putting in place a Dispute Resolution Team that would seek to deal with difficult cases raised by leaseholders and stop issues escalating, once the Housing Transformation restructuring had been completed.

·       The Private Renters Bill and the Leaseholder Reform Bill would both have an impact on future services in those areas. Prior to the legislation in these areas being enacted, the Council was seeking to take forward its own service improvements this included ensuring service charge bills accurately reflected the service the leaseholder had received.

·       Leaseholder works billing regarding retrofitting could be complicated as some measures could be considered an improvement rather than maintenance works.

·       Leaseholder bills did provide a breakdown of the charges that the leaseholder had to pay, where this was an estimate then the information would be less detailed and further information was available on request.

·       All service charge bills were sent out in February based on estimated costs for the year ahead, and at the end of the financial year these were reassessed based on actual spend and then this was rectified with the leaseholder. The bill would provide a breakdown of charges along with an overall summary, with further information regarding the expenditure being available from Leaseholder Services. For major works then the leaseholder would be sent an itemised account but following the views of leaseholders, the service was reviewing how this information could be better shared with leaseholders. Leaseholder Services also offered surgeries and advice sessions where staff could go through issues with leaseholders.

·       As part of the improvement programme Leaseholder Services would be looking at its evidence and record keeping so that more detailed information was available to leaseholders through the Camden Account.

·       Camden did have a number of payment options and terms that were available to leaseholders whose circumstances had changed. This could also mean placing a charge on the property so that the bill did not need to be paid until the home was sold.

·       Leaseholders could not automatically revert their leaseholder into becoming a Council tenant again, but the Council would always work with individuals to help them through challenging circumstances.

·       Leaseholder Services would seek to work with leaseholders in relation to concerns they had regarding bills that they sought to challenge regarding issues like disrepair.

·       Camden’s capital works programme was published on its open data site so that information was available to leaseholders regarding future schemes the Council was seeking to undertake. A report was scheduled to be submitted to the Cabinet and the Housing Scrutiny Committee for the December/January cycle regarding the Council’s overall Asset Management Strategy that would outline the works that needed to be done, along with how they could be funded.

·       Leaseholder Services had to go through a service redesign in order for it to take forward the recommendations identified in the Cabinet Adviser’s report along with other service improvements. This service redesign required a service restructure, and this was part of the overall housing transformation restructure that was now ready to take forward from November this year. An action plan had been developed with the Leaseholder Forum, a number of which had already been taken forward, and it was expected that the changes would lead to better service provision for leaseholders in the future. Updates in relation to the development of the action plan could be provided to members if they wished. These measures should reassure leaseholders that service changes were happening and would be delivered.

·       From January 2025 the Housing Department was proposing to undertake a re-induction of all housing staff. This would provide staff with clarity regarding expectations, refresher information on housing and tenancy law, along with appropriate training. This undertaking would allow the authority to professionalise the service as required by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

·       All housing and property services would be seeking to work closely together to ensure the best quality outcomes for all the Council’s tenants and leaseholders.  

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted