Housing Department overview and statistics

What the Housing Section does

 

The Council's Housing section works in two sub-sections: Housing Needs and Housing Policy.

 

The Housing Needs section manages the Housing and Transfer Registers  (waiting lists for people wanting housing association homes) and works with people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by trying to prevent homelessness where possible or by taking a homelessness application where appropriate. 

 

The Housing Policy section works on long-term projects including working with house-builders and housing associations to provide more housing association homes in the Borough.  The Housing Policy section has recently reported on the 2007 Housing Needs Assessment, a comprehensive study of housing in the Borough and an analysis of residents' housing-related needs in the future. 

 

The Council's Housing section is part of the Community Services department, which also includes Community Care and Leisure. 

 

Statistics on housing services

 

The statistics below give an impression of the work that the Council's Housing section does and our current performance.

 

During July to September 2007:

 

  • 98 per cent of staff were wearing their name badges during spot checks in June 2007
  • 37 per cent of Housing Register and Transfer List applications were responded to within five working days
  • 65 per cent of letters were responded to within five working days
  • We received one written compliment
  • We received four complaints, which were all answered within the target of five working days
  • 19 per cent of nominations to housing associations were sent within the target of two working days
  • 104 households were helped to prevent them becoming homeless (this included the award of Discretionary Housing Payments by the Housing Benefits department)
  • One household made a homelessness application to the Council.  The Council accepted a full homelessness duty to zero households.

 

On 28 September 2007 there were 2,484 households on the Council's Housing Register and Transfer List waiting for a nomination from the Council to a housing association home.

 

During July-September 2007, the Council nominated 173 households to housing association homes in the Borough.  Of these, 40 households accepted the property offered to them (we are still waiting to hear back from the housing associations regarding 61 households).

 

The table below shows the number of properties which were accepted by households and indicates the average points of those households.  This information can help people currently waiting for a housing association home to compare their points level with the points of people who are being offered housing association properties.

 

Property type and size No. of properties Average points
Bedsits    
Retirement bedsits 6 405 points
General bedsits 21 642 points
Flats and maisonettes    
Retirement 1 bedroom 16 422 points
1 bedroom 31 547 points
2 bedroom 37 672 points
3 bedroom 4 806 points
4 bedroom 0 No properties
Houses and bungalows    
1 bedroom bungalow 4 334 points
2 bedroom 14 567 points
3 bedroom  9 795 points
4 bedroom 3 525 points
Total 135