Tenant Complaints Rise

Official figures from the Housing Ombudsman showed it received 15,112 complaints and new enquiries, and closed 15,877. Although 81% of cases received being closed without the need for a formal investigation, the annual report revealed an 18% increase in cases that went forward to formal investigation, which are the most complex and difficult to resolve. The Housing Ombudsman’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2016-17, shows continuous improvement in the service with increased productivity and high levels of customer satisfaction. Download the report from the Housing Ombudsman website.

Ombudsman Struggles To Cope With Complaints Surge

The Housing Ombudsman has warned it may not be able to manage its casework following a surge in enquiries and complaints about social landlords over the last two years. The ombudsman revealed in its annual report that it responded to 16,337 complaints and enquiries in 2014/15. This is up from 12,782 the previous year and represents a 66% increase over two years.  The number of complaints about social landlords increased 10% year-on-year to 6,737. Of these, a total of 1,130 cases entered the Ombudsman’s formal remit to deal with a 31% increase on the previous year. The increase has led to a ‘key risk’ that the service will be unable to cope, the ombudsman warned. Download the report from the Ombudsman’s website.

2.4m Families in Fuel Poverty

The number of families living in fuel poverty remains ‘broadly unchanged’ since 2012, despite government promises to tackle the problem. Statistics published by the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) show around 2.35 million households were living in fuel poverty in 2013, representing 10.4% of England. The Fuel Poverty Annual Report 2015 said: ‘This is broadly unchanged from 2.36 million households in 2012 [a change of around 0.5%].’ In July 2013, former Liberal Democrat energy secretary Ed Davey said the government was committed to tackling fuel poverty, despite scrapping a target to eradicate the problem. At the time, the government was accused of ‘shifting the goalposts on fuel poverty’. Download a copy of the report from the DECC website.

10% of Affordable Homes Set For Vulnerable and Older People

Almost 10% of the HCA’s Affordable Homes Programme is set to be delivered as supported housing and housing for older people, according to a new report. The HCA’s Vulnerable and Older People Advisory Group (VOPAG) annual report highlights progress made by the Agency over the last calendar year on this agenda, includes a number of case studies, and makes a number of recommendations that aim to build on this over the coming months. Download a copy of the report from the HCA website.

HCA Publishes Annual Report

The HCA Annual Report for 2010/11 is now available to download. As well as providing information about performance, it explains the HCA's role and impact as an investment and enabling agency. Alongside this there is also a sustainability report which reflects the HCA’s commitment to achieve carbon reduction targets by 2015. Download copies of these reports from the HCA website.

CLG Publishes 2010-11 Annual Report

The CLG has published its Annual Report and Accounts for the 2010-11 financial year. Since the Coalition Government was formed in May 2010, the Department “…has taken action to make its radical localism agenda a reality and free up councils, businesses and communities to deliver economic growth.” The Report provides an overview of the Department's performance in 2010-11, structured around the five Coalition Priorities set out in the Business Plan. Download a copy from the CLG website.

Annual Report Workshops – How To Do It Better!

Date and location
7 June - Coventry
9 June - London
The recent report from the National Tenant Organisations on the first year of Annual Reports said it was an encouraging start but that landlords could do better. The review found that:
*too many reports were written for the TSA and not for tenants
*there was too much PR and corporate ‘back slapping’
*the majority did not include enough honest assessment of services
*very few compared services with other landlords
*most did not include information on value for money, diversity and governance
So the workshops are to help landlords get it right for their second annual report. Find details on the HouseMark website.

Housemark Workshop: Annual Report Workshops – How To Do It Better!

Date and location
7 June - Coventry
9 June - London
The recent report from the National Tenant Organisations on the first year of Annual Reports said it was an encouraging start but that landlords could do better. The review found that:
*too many reports were written for the TSA and not for tenants
*there was too much PR and corporate ‘back slapping’
*the majority did not include enough honest assessment of services
*very few compared services with other landlords
*most did not include information on value for money, diversity and governance
So the workshops are to help landlords get it right for their second annual report. Find full details on the HouseMark website.

Challenge to Housing Sector to Improve Annual Reports to Tenants

As landlords gear up to producing their second year annual reports to tenants, the four National Tenant Organisations publish their review report of the first year annual reports – “A good start, but could do better” - challenging the housing sector to improve annual reports next time round. The review identifies many positives in annual reports – particularly that the tenant-led reports were amongst the best. However, the review sets out that too many reports were written for the TSA and not for tenants; there was too much PR and corporate back slapping; too many did not include enough honest assessment of services and very few compared services with other landlords; too many did not include information on value for money, diversity and governance; and very few demonstrated that landlords had understood “local offers”. Above all, the review makes it clear that too few reports set out to excite their tenant readership. Download a copy of the TAROE report from its website.

Social Landlords Deliver Near-Universal Response to Tenant Annual Reports

Social landlords have provided a near-universal response rate in publishing their first annual reports to tenants. The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) has received this impressive level of engagement from local authority and housing association landlords and welcomes the overwhelming support to this key component of its co-regulatory approach. The regulator requires landlords, together with their tenants, to provide an annual report for their tenants, that sets out how they are meeting the TSA standards and delivering services to tenants. The reports also set out how they will address their tenants’ local priorities in the coming year. This successful response rate demonstrates the sector’s commitment to the regulatory framework and co-regulation and its willingness to work directly with tenants in their local communities. It is also a platform from which to move forward with the new focus on local engagement. Read more on the TSA website.

Report Backs HCA Approach to Specialist Housing

The HCA should continue to prioritise investment in specialist housing provision, and meeting the needs of vulnerable and older people should be embedded in the Agency's Local Investment Planning process, according to a report published today by the Agency's Vulnerable and Older People Advisory Group (VOPAG). The annual report shows that the Agency invested £880m in specialist housing up to 31 March 2010 – over 14% of its total investment for housing to rent over the same period – providing 15,000 new homes. Every region received a share of funding, and in four regions, investment in specialist housing for rent was greater than 20% of all investment in homes for rent in that region. The report highlights an ageing population and changing demographics as being among the country's greatest housing challenges; while outlining areas of opportunity such as new investment models, changing policy, and the emergence of the Government's personalisation agenda. Read more of this story and download a copy of the report from the HCA website.

ALMO Asks Customers to Challenge Service

Berneslai Homes have sent out their annual report to all tenants and residents, setting out how the company has performed over 2009/10 and how they plan to improve services this year. It also details how the company has involved its customers in meeting the national standards set by the Tenant Services Authority. The company has met with customers to agree a range of “offers” to its customers about how they will deliver services. One of the fundamental improvements promised for this year is that Barnsley Federation of Tenants and Residents is setting up independent ‘Berneslai Challenge Panels’ so tenants and residents across Barnsley check that Berneslai Homes are delivering against these offers and if not they have powers to challenge their landlord. The panels, made up entirely of customers, will meet twice a year and will look in detail at the way the company delivers its repairs and maintenance services, its tenancy and estate management service, how it involves and empowers its customers and how it ensures value for money. Read more on the NFA website.

What Do Tenants Want? HQN’s Guide to the Annual Report to Tenants

Annual reports to tenants used to be compulsory, but as no one read them, they were dropped. Will things be different this time around? Will the reports be useful? Most tenants will only read an annual report if it covers the things that matter to them quickly, honestly and clearly. Landlords should ask tenants what they want to see in the annual report. This free HQN guide suggests the sorts of questions tenants might want to ask – and how landlords should look to answer. Download the guide from the HQN website by clicking on the logo below. Remember – your organisation may need to be a member of HQN to download this briefing.

HCA Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009/10

The HCA Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009/10 published on 29 July 2010 are now available online. This Annual Report provides information about the HCA’s performance during the reporting period. It explains its role as an investment and enabling agency and describes the impact it is having on local communities around the country. Much of the format of the Annual Report and Financial Statements is dictated by legislative requirements and accounting procedures. The Agency is, however, constantly seeking to improve the range and quality of information available about its programmes. Download a copy of the report plus supplementary reports from the HCA website.

HCA: Strong Delivery Backed by Steady Financial Improvement

The HCA’s Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009/10 show that the Agency has partially recovered from the market turmoil of the previous year, with its strong delivery supported by a steadily improving financial position. The Agency met or exceeded all of its key targets in 2009/10, including an ‘exceptional’ housing performance, starting or completing over 120,000 new and affordable homes. The total equates to more than half of all homes under construction during the reporting period. Net operating expenditure was up by 21% but remained within budget at £5.2bn, a reflection of increased Programme funding channelled through the HCA by Government. Download a copy of the report from the HCA website by clicking on the logo below.