A number of incentives for council tenants were reviewed at Cabinet on 4 November. The aim of the changes is to ensure that housing resources are aimed at those tenants with the greatest needs.

Recent consultation with tenant representatives on the housing strategy identified the under occupation of council properties, as being of significant concern to them.

The proposals went to Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services)* who recommended:-

· The objective of giving incentives should be to reduce under occupancy.

· Incentives should be given only to those who need the service and to those living in appropriately sized housing.

· Incentives should be phased out where appropriate, rather than stopped.

· Consideration should also be given to using funds saved from phasing out incentives, to improve the green spaces on the estates.

Therefore it has been decided to make the following changes:-

The 50th anniversary payment rewarded anyone who had been a council tenant continuously for fifty years, with a payment of 4 weeks rent. This meant that tenants occupying larger homes with higher rents received larger payments. This payment is now seen to be unfair as an increasing number of people housed by the Council do not become council tenants but are referred to Housing Associations or Registered Social Landlords. It also unfairly rewards people who live in larger accommodation where rents are inevitably higher.

The savings used from withdrawal of this benefit will be used to increase the grant for tenants who voluntarily move from larger accommodation to one bedroom properties thereby enabling families on the waiting list to be housed in the more suitable, family sized properties.

The decoration scheme for tenants over 60 years old who live alone and / or have a disability, enabled them to have one room in their house decorated free of charge every two years. The current budget for this is £50,000.

There are currently 160 tenants on the waiting list for this service.

This service will be withdrawn when committed expenditure to cover those on the waiting list has been utilised. The funds will in future be used to decorate vacant retirement housing and elderly designated properties to make them more attractive for people wishing to move to smaller properties. In addition, once the existing waiting list has been cleared some of the savings will be used to provide a handyman service to assist tenants on the day they move into a property, if they’re moving from a larger property into retirement housing or properties designated for the elderly.

The gardening scheme for tenants over 60 years old, who live alone, and / or have a disability, currently pays for a free basic gardening service. However the cost of providing this service for 2008/9 was £129,842 and it encourages people who can no longer maintain their property to remain there rather than consider moving to an alternative, more suitable property. It also means that people waiting for a property with it’s own garden, who can maintain it have longer to wait.

It is proposed to introduce a charge for those receiving this service.

The service charge will be introduced in April 2010, existing service users will pay 50% of the cost in 2010/2011 and 100% of the cost from 2011/2012. New applicants to the scheme will pay 100% of the cost from the outset.

Cllr Joyce Lusby commented: “The above changes will result in the Council being able to direct £158K to other parts of the service where it’s most needed.”

Residents who have bought their homes from St Albans City and District Council under a leasehold agreement are to be sent quarterly repair statements and provided with a dedicated officer to handle their queries as part of an initiative to improve the service that they receive.

On 6th October, Cabinet approved an action plan to bring the leasehold management service provided to these residents into line with best practice.

Following feedback gathered through focus groups with Council leaseholders, a number of steps are being taken to improve the management service. These include:
the appointment of a Leasehold and Charges Officer to manage leaseholder relations;
the adoption of clearer communication with leaseholders, for example, through a revised leasehold handbook, an annual leasehold report and better information on the Council’s website;
the provision of quarterly repair summary statements for leaseholders;
the creation of an opportunity for customer feedback, for example, through a survey to assess leaseholders’ satisfaction levels.

The improved service will apply to all those residents who have bought their flats under a lease with the Council either through the government’s right to buy scheme or from other leaseholders who have previously acquired their property from the Council. The Council, as freeholder, is responsible for maintaining the structure of these leasehold flats, of which there are approximately 1,012 in the District, and recouping the cost of repairs from these leaseholders.

Cllr Joyce Lusby, Portfolio Holder for Housing Services at St Albans City and District Council, said: “We have listened to the Council’s leaseholders and taken on board their concerns about the management of their homes. We will continue to improve our communications and procedures so that they are informed about potential repairs and associated costs as early as possible. We hope that these steps will lead to a better relationship between the Council and its leaseholders.”

St Albans City and District Council is to consult right to buy
leaseholders on how best to manage their leasehold properties.

Following a meeting of the cabinet on 5th May 2009, the council has
decided to draw up an action plan to implement best practice on the
management of its leasehold properties. Leaseholders will be consulted
on the action plan which is due to be presented back to cabinet in
October.

Across the district there are around 1,012 right to buy leasehold flats.
The council owns the freeholds of these properties and subject to the
terms of the various leases is responsible for maintaining the exterior
and communal parts of the buildings. In turn, the leaseholders pay for
the cost of these services via an annual service charge. In addition,
leaseholders are also responsible for paying for the necessary capital
works carried out to the building, subject to the terms of their lease.

In order to help leaseholders better manage these costs, the council has
agreed to review its practice, including repayment options, and to
clarify its position on leasehold management by drawing up an action
plan.

It has also agreed to inform leaseholders on their right to manage or
purchase the freehold to their building.

Leaseholders are to be kept informed of their rights and
responsibilities through the leaseholders’ handbook, the welcome pack,
leaflets and the council’s website.

Cllr Joyce Lusby, portfolio holder for Housing Services, said: “I am
pleased that a review of the leasehold management service of the council
is taking place and I know that the views of our leaseholders will be
taken seriously.”

More information about the rights of leaseholders is available at
http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/housing/housing-advice/Leaseholding/

Statement from St Albans District Council

Applicants registered on St Albans’ housing waiting list will soon have
more choice in deciding where to live.

From 1st May 2009 St Albans District Council will be introducing Choice
Based Lettings (CBL), a new way of allocating council and housing
association properties in the district.

CBL represents a massive shift in the traditional points-based system
where applicants waited until they were top of the list and were then
allocated the next suitable available property. This may have been a
property that they did not want, in a location they did not like. Now
applicants will be able to see what properties are available in a
fortnightly magazine and on the internet and they can choose to express
an interest in homes they are eligible for. These will then be allocated
according to applicants’ housing need and the length of time spent on
the waiting list.

Cllr Joyce Lusby, portfolio said “The council officers have worked
extremely hard to put the new system in place, they and I are excited
about Choice Based Lettings because it gives the applicants choice about
their new homes and should result in greater contentment. Well done to
the St Albans’ Housing department.”