Housing Association Rationalisation Project Fieldway

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Housing Association Rationalisation
ProjectFieldway New AddingtonPresented by
Peter Brown Divisional Director of
HousingFriday 13th June 2008
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Rationalisation Project

• Background
• Why Croydon?
• The Area
• HA stock
• Key local concerns
• Objectives
• Model
• Delivery
• Conclusion

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Background

• Housing Corporation and London Councils in 2007
  invited bids from London local authorities to
  conduct a neighbourhood based pilot
• Criteria
• Large number of HAs in area
• Scope to improve consistency/joint working
• Some HAs have limited stock
• Regeneration or focus on community cohesion
• Croydon and Havering selected

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Why Croydon?

• Strong track record on delivery
• Work closely in partnership with Housing
  Corporation and housing associations
• Leading role in development in SW sub-region
• 3 star authority
• Beacon status
• Getting closer to communities
• Improving housing services by involving tenants
• Increasing voluntary and community sector service
  delivery

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The Area

• New Addington dates back to 1935
• First National Housing Trust
• Became Croydons largest estate
• Main building programme completed in 1963
• Fieldway estate was completed in 1968
• HAs have built infill developments and acquired
  street properties

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The Area

• The two wards make up a single neighbourhood
• Has clear geographical boundaries
• Fieldway is the most deprived ward in Croydon
• Subject to two major regeneration initiatives
• Neighbourhood Renewal
• Central Parade regeneration

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The Area

• community safety
• building community pride
• regeneration of public places/shops
• education and employment
• nurseries/play areas for children
• stronger purpose for teenagers service access for
  the hard to reach
• support for single parents
• support for young men
• community leadership

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The Area

• 75m district centre regeneration (partnership
  with Tesco)
• 251residential homes (Hyde)
• community centre
• health centre
• Library
• swimming pool, sports hall and gym
• combined CETS training centre and Job Centre Plus
• Business Enterprise Centre (BEC)
• One Stop Service Centre
• Council Offices

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The Area

• Population of 21,527
• 7,997 households
• 3,407 council rented homes

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Housing Association Stock

• There are 14 housing associations with properties
  in Fieldway and New Addington
• Seven manage fewer than 20 homes
• Eight have 10 or less of their Croydon stock in
  management in the neighbourhood
• Only 3 associations have more than 20 of their
  Croydon homes in New Addington and Fieldway
• Two associations currently manage 60 of the
  housing association stock in New Addington and
  Fieldway between them
• But do need to look at picture across the borough

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Housing Association Stock in Croydon

• 52 housing associations, co-operatives,
  Abbeyfield societies and almshouses managing
  9,919 rented homes
• 28 HAs have few than 100 homes
• 6 HAs manage more than 500 homes

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Key Local Concerns

• RSL management capacity
• Difficult to engage quickly and effectively to
  tackle emerging estate management issues
• Dispersed stock/small numbers
• Inconsistency of approach
• Potential inability to tackle ASB
• Potential lack of tenant/community engagement
• Most estate activities funded by the council

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Objectives of Rationalisation

• Cost efficiencies
• More cost effective management and VFM
• More focused contribution
• Overcome difficulties of multiple landlords,
  pepper-potted ownership etc
• Improved customer service
• Make management service more responsive
• Neighbourhood management
• Ensure engagement with local community
• Focus for wider rationalisation activities

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Objectives of Rationalisation

• Reduce overall numbers of HAs managing in borough
  to about 12 (mix of large, medium and specialist)
• Reduce number in pilot area to around 4 HAs
• Common management standards
• Enhanced partnership working
• Raising the profile and sharing good practice
  with others
• Increased tenant satisfaction and engagement

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Regeneration Rationalisation
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Delivering the Project

• Launched at conference - November 2007
• Meetings with the 14 housing associations
• Individual meetings with each association
• Project Group to oversee progress
• Regular liaison with Housing Corporation, London
  Councils and Havering
• Seminar for wider audience
• Newsletters etc
• Use Housing Corporation tool kit

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Conclusion

• Contributes to Place Shaping role
• Will be challenging and uncomfortable
• Need buy in and commitment from HAs
• Develop HA Management Protocol
• Income and development opportunities
• Improved partnership working
• Improved community engagement
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Tenants will benefit
• Supports HA Asset Management Strategies