Annual Report 2017/18
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Annual report 2017/18 Foreword During the year, EastendHomes has continued Earlier this year EastendHomes worked It’s a pleasure to welcome to explore ways to provide new, desperately closely with our regulator, the Regulator of you to the Annual Report for needed, genuinely affordable homes for local Social Housing, who conducted an ‘In Depth people. This year we have added a small Assessment’ (IDA), which looked in detail at 2017/18. I hope that you number of new homes to our housing stock, how we are run, with a particular focus on will find it to be an interesting the first properties we have acquired in Bow governance and financial viability. All housing (though close to our existing Mile End estates). associations are required to undergo an IDA Contents and informative read. The Board is currently working on ambitious approximately every three years, and I am plans to introduce many more new homes in pleased to report that following the review, Introduction 4 It has been a busy year, understandably the borough. A priority of the Board is that there was no change to our rating and we overshadowed by the horrors of the tragic fire wherever possible these new homes should be were found to be compliant with both our Community events 6 at Grenfell Tower. Subsequently Government let at genuinely affordable social rents. governance and our financial viability. Performance 8 and all housing providers have been reviewing 2017 also saw the start of our new repairs and Finally, I would like to thank all my fellow everything they do to make sure that all maintenance contract, led by Morgan Sindall Board Members for their hard work during this Repairs 12 tenants’ homes and buildings are as safe as Property Services. This contract covers the day year, and all of the residents who volunteer Keeping estates clean 14 possible. For EastendHomes, this has meant to day repairs you receive in your homes and to get involved with EastendHomes, in a particular focus on Denning Point on the can also be expanded to cover bigger schemes whatever way. It was an honour this year to Regeneration 15 Holland estate, and I am grateful both to the of planned maintenance and major works. be elected as the Chair of EastendHomes, the staff for their quick response, and in particular Governance and viability 16 We know that this new contract didn’t hit the first Tenant Board Member to be Chair in our to the residents (myself included) who have ground running in the way that we would have history. I believe that there is an opportunity Local offers 18 reacted calmly and responsibly to the measures liked and staff have been working very hard to for all residents to become involved in how taken to ensure their safety. If any resident make sure we return to the excellent service their homes and estates are managed, Value for money 20 reading this has any questions about fire safety that both you and we expect. I’d encourage all in a way which suits your lifestyles, and if in their home, I would strongly encourage you Summary accounts 22 residents to complete the satisfaction survey you have something to contribute I would to speak to your Housing Officer or read the after a repair has been finished, normally a wholeheartedly encourage you to contact information on the EastendHomes website. phone call from your local office. We hope that EastendHomes and have your say. you will be happy with the service you receive, but we will also follow up on any problems Les Eldon which you report. Chair - EastendHomes 2 3 Introduction EastendHomes has been managing properties in Tower Hamlets since 2005, with all of our staff working in local offices based on our estates. In that time we have invested almost £160 million in £160 million refurbishing homes, improving estates, and building new homes spent on refurbishing homes, for local residents. improving estates, and building new homes for local residents Our Vision is: “To achieve the comprehensive regeneration of our estates and to bring about a sustained improvement in the homes and quality of life for residents”. Area Social Rented Leasehold Intermediate Private Rent Rented Our Mission is: Glamis 194 152 0 1 “To provide a local housing Holland 209 218 0 0 service which is efficient, gives Island Gardens 520 300 0 2 value for money and meets the needs, priorities and aspirations Mile End 986 614 3 48 of all residents”. St George’s 339 199 0 0 Total 2248 1483 3 51 We also have five Values setting out what On 31st March 2018, EastendHomes managed we stand for and what we aim to achieve. a total of 3,785 homes across the borough, Did You Know? These are: including 2,248 homes let at social rents, The oldest properties managed by 1,483 homes owned by leaseholders, 3 homes • We value and support resident involvement EastendHomes are some houses in let at intermediate rents, and 51 homes let to Brokesley Street in E3 - believed • We recognise and value the commitment private tenants. to date back to 1848! and hard work by our staff • We will always strive to provide the best possible service • We welcome and support diversity and we are committed to equality • We want to improve and succeed in all aspects of our work. 4 5 Citizenship Day Community events October 2017 Images from some of the many events held 100th Birthday with and for residents Celebration in 2017/18: Cahir Street Residents January 2018 Fun Day August 2017 Gordon House Fire Safety Action Day August 2017 Hallowe’en Party October 2017 Southern Grove Christmas Party Wager Street December 2017 Residents Fun Day August 2017 Did You Know? 8th October 2017 was the tenth anniversary of the London in Bloom Awards stock transfer of Glamis estate to EastendHomes - September 2017 Christmas Panto December 2017 the latest estate to transfer to EEH so far Volunteering on Eric estate April 2017 6 7 Performance of properties held a valid gas In 2017/18 we surveyed our leaseholders and 54.0% were safety certificate at 31st March satisfied with EastendHomes overall (60.7% in 2015). 100% 2018 (100% at 31st March 2017). The last time we surveyed our tenants was in 2016, and 84.4% told us in our STAR survey that they were satisfied with EastendHomes’ services overall. Properties with a valid gas safety certificate at 31st March 2018 (%) 101.2% of rent due collected as at last Housing EastendHomes completed 662 phone calls to EEH 100 Benefit week (103.4% in 2016/17). the members of our Safe & Well scheme. Clarion 99.62 2.91% rent arrears for current tenants at last 180 complaints responded to in full in the year Gateway 100 Housing Benefit week (2.65% in 2016/17). (134 in 2016/17); of which 22 were Stage 2 Notting Hill Genesis 100 complaints and 7 were Stage 3 complaints. 6 evictions in 2017/18 (up from 3 in 2016/17), One Housing 100 all of which were for rent arrears. 159 complaints were responded to in target – Peabody 100 88.3% (94.9% in 2016/17). Poplar HARCA 100 179 residents met with our welfare and Providence Row 100 benefits advisor at582 appointments. Southern Housing 99.21 Spitalfields 100 Complaints responded to in target (%) Swan 100 EEH 88.3 THCH 100 Clarion 70.2 Tower Hamlets Homes 100 Gateway 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 Notting Hill Genesis 70 One Housing 93.7 11 major adaptations carried out to EastendHomes properties allowing tenants Poplar HARCA 95.2 Did You Know? to stay in their homes, and 35 minor Providence Row 100 If you live in one of EastendHomes’ tower blocks adaptations to make life more comfortable ’ Southern Housing 40.8 for EastendHomes tenants. you can view the Fire Risk Assessment for your Spitalfields 100 block at www.eastendhomes.net/fire-risk-assessments. Swan 100 87% of adaptations were completed in target. We hope to introduce a system for residents of our THCH 86 113 fire risk assessments were completed for other blocks to also view assessments online. Tower Hamlets Homes 85.8 blocks and areas managed by EastendHomes. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Did You Know? EastendHomes tenants can now ‘Do It Online’ by registering for our portal on the EastendHomes website - this allows you to check your rent balance print statements look up repairs you’ve requested and more. We’ hope to have a similar’ service in place for our leaseholders’ in the near future. 8 9 Performance continued 85 incidents of anti-social behaviour Types of anti-social behaviour investigated Right to Buy / Acquire Sales investigated by EastendHomes in 2017/18 (also 85 in 2016/17) Noise 22 25 22 74 properties let (64 in 2016/17) Verbal harassment / intimidation 22 20 Drug / substance misuse or dealing 21 18 4 EastendHomes tenants were rehoused 17 17 17 through our Overcrowding Reduction Initiative Litter, rubbish, fly tipping 2 – making a total of 121 since it started in 2008 15 Misuse of communal areas / loitering 6 36.3 days on average to re-let an empty Physical violence 2 10 property which didn’t require major 8 refurbishment (19 days in 2016/17) Domestic abuse 3 5 4 4 87.5% of new tenants were satisfied with the Alcohol related 0 3 2 condition of their property (81% in 2016/17) 1 0 Graffiti 0 Listening and Acting Nuisance from vehicles 3 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18 Following many reports from residents, 2 EastendHomes was recently successful Criminal behaviour / crime in arranging for additional patrols by the Garden nuisance 0 Did You Know? Police on the St George’s, Holland and 4 of our tenants ‘mutually exchanged’ to swap homes with a tenant from Hate crime 0 Island Gardens estates.