The Borough Residents' Forum met on Tuesday 16 January 2024 to discuss the Social Housing Regulation Act, the Council's Green Agenda, and proposed changes to heating and hot water charges, as well as the Housing Revenue Account budget, which included rent setting. The Forum also received an update on plans to improve services delivered by the Major Works team.

Social Housing Regulation Act

The Forum received a report detailing the requirements of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. This legislation introduces a more proactive approach to regulating social housing, with an increased role for the Regulator of Social Housing. Landlords will be assessed against revised Consumer Standards and Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), with health and safety measures to be reported from April 2024. The report highlighted the introduction of 'Awaab's Law', which mandates landlords to investigate and address damp and mould issues within specified timeframes. The Council's in-house damp and mould team, established last year, is to be expanded. Discussions also covered the Council's corporate complaints process and how it aligns with the Regulator's timescales, with assurances that the Housing Ombudsman's Code of Conduct, which has shorter response times, would be followed. Concerns were raised about complaints made directly to contractors, and residents were reminded to always contact the Council directly.

Update on Green Agenda

A report was presented on the progress of the Council's Green Agenda. The Department was unsuccessful in securing funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), partly due to the nature of the bid and the tenant and leaseholder stock profile. However, ECO4 funding is now available, and over 100 properties have been identified as potentially eligible for this funding, which will contribute to energy efficiency measures. The Council is also surveying its public buildings and social housing for solar PV installations to assess their usage and the potential for additional installations. Some existing Major Works staff have completed retrofit coordinator training, and the Council is recruiting for an additional Energy Management post. Advice was provided on managing heating costs and expenses, and it was confirmed that leaseholders would be charged for the replacement of communal heating. The Forum was assured that new build blocks are built to high energy efficiency standards, and solar panels are considered where feasible.

Heating and Hot Water Charges

The Forum received a report on the proposed charges for the communal Heating and Hot Water Account for the 2024/25 financial year. The report outlined the strategy for paying off a deficit accumulated in 2023/24, which was partly subsidised to keep charges as low as possible for residents. This deficit is planned to be recovered by 2027/28. Despite recent decreases in wholesale gas prices, charges for residents are proposed to increase by 10% in 2024/25 to address the account deficit. This increase is part of a multi-year plan to ensure the sustainability of the heating and hot water system. The report also detailed repair and maintenance charges, which vary by site and apply to leaseholders, with tenants' share covered by the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). Administration costs are also covered by the HRA for tenants or directly by leaseholders. The proposed 10% increase in fuel charges was noted as necessary to clear the account deficit, with the aim of eliminating it within the original timeframe.

HRA Budget Setting (including Rent Setting)

The Forum received a report on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget, including proposals for rent setting. It was noted that a government cap on rent increases in 2023/24 had resulted in a real-terms income cut for the HRA. To ensure the HRA's long-term financial viability, a rent increase of an average of 7.7% was proposed for 2024/25. The Council acknowledged the impact this would have on tenants and confirmed continued support through the Financial Inclusion Team and Tenancy Support. A question was raised regarding total rent arrears of £15.1 million, with an explanation that write-offs are considered only after all collection efforts are exhausted. The report also detailed the Council's approach to current tenant arrears, with nearly 50% covered by payment plans. The Forum heard about Right to Buy completions and was assured that the HRA's ring-fencing principle was taken seriously. The report also addressed concerns about local authority debt, stating that the HRA's borrowing was for investment in social housing, not speculative ventures, and that the HRA business plan was financially viable.

Plans to improve services delivered by Major Works

A report was presented on plans to enhance the staffing structure of the Major Works, Support Services, and Leasehold and Procurement teams. The need for additional staffing was attributed to the increased Major Works programme. The costs associated with these new roles would be attributed to the Major Works schemes themselves, resulting in minimal impact on leaseholder service charges. The report detailed the proposed new posts, including Minor Works Surveyors, an Administrative Officer, a Project Controller, a Consultation Officer, and an increase in hours for the Principal Programme Officer. The net increase in staffing is 5.5 FTEs, with an annual cost of £290,000, of which £113,000 is expected to be recovered through leaseholder service charges. These changes are intended to support increased retrofitting of properties with energy-efficiency measures, contributing to the borough's carbon reduction targets and assisting residents in reducing energy consumption and costs.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the Borough Residents' Forum meeting held on 7th November 2023 were confirmed and signed. Several points arising from the previous minutes were discussed, including updates on estate manager posts, the rationalisation of Community Champions, the end of buybacks for general stock, and corrections to previous notes regarding disability access. The attendance of the Building Safety Lead at future meetings was confirmed, and a report on waste collection vehicles was promised. Consistency in addressing Forum members and an update on the working group for major works bills were also requested.

Any Other Business

During the Any Other Business section, a resident raised issues experienced with Capita regarding instalment plans and reminder letters, which would be sent for further review. The Cabinet Member for Housing requested that any issues with Capita be reported to build a case. A query was raised about Capita's authority in sending letters related to court action, with confirmation that their contract focused on service charge collection and court action in exceptional circumstances. The responsibility for garage rent collection was clarified as being with the Council's Rent Collection Service, not Capita. A request for a special Mega Skip in the Meyrick Road car park for residents of Scholey House, Jackson House, and Kiloh House was confirmed to be arranged. The need for greater transparency in service charge bills was discussed, with the Finance Department working on a new service charge system. The Cabinet Member for Housing reiterated that the Borough Residents' Forum was the primary body for discussing such issues. A suggestion was made to track common errors made by Capita to understand their causes and prevent future mistakes.

The meeting concluded with the noting of the date of the next meeting on 4th June 2024.