Agenda item

Aspire Housing Customer Services Manager will carry out a presentation and answer any concerns/issues raised by Members.

A presentation was carried out by Aspire Housing’s Customer Services Manager and Head of Housing on how Aspire’s letting system operated.

Aspire Housing have got 8,340 rental properties in Newcastle and 186 properties in Cheshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

The aims of the policy were:-

Band A – transferring tenants of Aspire requiring an emergency move.

Band B – transferring tenants of Aspire with a defined housing need with top priority awarded to those with community contribution.

Band C – Non Aspire tenants with top priority awarded to those with community contribution.

The following questions were raised by Members and answers presented:-

Q1:      How difficult would it be to downsize and were there properties to accommodate this?

A1:      The tenant would have to apply to the letting system, Home Hunt, and to Newcastle Housing Advice to be included on their waiting list.  Any nomination sent over would be considered.  There was a specialist team, as well as an allocations team, who provide a money advice service which worked on those most at risk.

Q2:      It was commented that the percentage of nominations that were let in Quarter One was significantly below the target of 75%.

A2:      It was reported that this fell with the agency who managed the nominations.

            A Member objected to this comment, informing Aspire they were wrong to blame the agency who managed the nominations, in light of not applying for the contract themselves.

            A Member objected to this comment.

Q3:      How was equity assessed?

A3:      Individual cases were considered.

Q4:      The residents of Newcastle need to have priority over residents outside the Borough.

A4:      Priority was given to residents living in Newcastle. 

Q5:      Home Hunt seemed a complicated system, were there other ways a resident could access Home Hunt rather than the internet?

A5:      Home Hunt was internet based but there were Officers who supported customers.

Q6:      How many new builds does Aspire Housing own at the end of the financial year?

A6:      Aspire Housing to supply the information on their new build programme.

Q7:      What was your policy when a dependent family member of a disabled child became ill?

A7:      The policy would be to find the most suitable property.

Q8:      As a housing authority are you encouraging development?

A8:      Yes from social landlords but it was Newcastle Borough Council’s responsibility to identify the need.

Q9:      Most residents felt Aspire Housing was being unreasonable with allocations.

A9:      In terms of the upsize the eligibility rules had changed.  Customer satisfaction was measured alongside the letting process. 

Q10:   Over the last twelve months what number of customers had down sized and how many evictions had there been?

A10:    There had been no evictions due to the bedroom tax.  The Officer did not have figures available on the number of customers who down sized.

Resolved:-

(a)   Aspire Housing to supply Committee with the following information:-

1.  A written explanation of the reason for their nominations being significantly below target for quarter one.

2.  The number of new builds completed at the end of the financial year.

(b)          That Aspire Housing is invited back to Committee on the 24^th March 2016 to provide a further update.