DUNFERMLINE HOUSING SERVICES PLAN 2017/19 Welcome

Welcome to the Area Housing Services Plan. We have produced a Housing Services Plan with our customers for each of the 7 Areas in , and this is yours, covering Dunfermline City, Wellwood, Townhill, Crossford, and . You told us about your concerns and issues where you live, and together we walked around areas to identify what needs done. We looked at how well we are doing managing your homes to prioritise which services we need to improve. In Sept 17, we showed the plan to some of the tenants and residents of Dunfermline. We included your ideas in our finished plan where we could. The Area Housing Services Plan was approved by Dunfermline Area Committee on November 17. We will give 6 monthly updates on progress with the plan to the Committee, and in between times we will update www. fifedirect/Housing with events, progress and completed actions. About Dunfermline Area

Stock by bedroom size Stock by house type

Bedsit 35 Sheltered 86

1 bed 972 Bungalows 236 3271 2 bed 1457 Flats 1647 TOTAL 3 bed 701 High rise flats 211 HOMES 4/5/6 bed 106 Houses 1091

311 15 77 LETS MUTUAL TRANSFERS IN 2016/17 EXCHANGES IN 2016/17 IN 2016/17

1277 25 12 PEOPLE ABANDONED TENANCY LOOKING TENANCIES EVICTIONS FOR HOMES

Tenants 83% 84% are are more of tenants satisfied with satisfied with across Fife quality of their neighbourhood are satisfied home management that their rent than in 2016 provides good value

3 Rate your estates: What we found

We compared our housing in Dunfermline with the rest of Fife, and with other landlords in . This showed what our neighbourhood priorities should be..

There is a lower than average number of houses in Dunfermline area, particularly larger 3 and 4 bed properties. There is a higher number of flats including 3 multi story blocks at Broomhead Drive.

We have invested in new build developments in Halbeath, , and Dunfermline North areas increasing the number of £ good quality houses available to let.

The average time we take to let out properties is 25 days – Rent loss from void properties is slightly below the Fife average.

The majority of our tenants are up to date with their rent. However 1 in 5 of our tenants have arrangements in place to repay rent debt due. Our approach is proactive to ensure new tenants do not get into difficulties and preventing future issues, whilst supporting existing tenants who may have a change in circumstances.

Allocations are made in line with policy with quotas applied to meet a range of housing needs. Promote best use of stock moves where possible, creating chains of allocations to increase the number of properties available to let. We provide housing options advice for applicants and future tenants.

In 2016/17 154 new bathrooms, 66 new kitchens and 124 new heating systems were installed in our stock.

It took us an average of 5 hours to respond to emergency repairs, and 6.5 days for routine repairs

Providing good customer care is important to the Housing Team. The Council has a complaints procedure for those occasions where our tenants feel that the service provided has fallen below expected standards.

4 Rate your estates: What we found

We found Where What we will do When we do it

Promote transfer moves High demand for existing tenants for larger homes March 2018 – provide who wish to down size. with 3 or more Dunfermline 6 monthly update Publicise our Tenants bedrooms Incentive Scheme Increase uptake of our tenancy assistance service.

Some tenants need assistance Make referrals to agencies to manage for support as needed March 18 – provide 6 Dunfermline and sustain monthly update their tenancies successfully Work with Dunfermline Hub and Furniture plus to provide tenancy starter packs Increase number of tenancy assistance and visits tenant contact

Increase number of tenants with repayment arrangements

Tenants in March 2018 – provide Dunfermline arrears with rent Increase percentage of 6 monthly update tenants with clear rent accounts

Work with partner organisations to provide advice and assistance to those in need of support

Review, evaluate and Low demand for March 2018 – provide Touch produce options and lock-ups 6 monthly update consult with community

5 Rate your estates: What you told us

We have carried out estate walkabouts, spoken with local Councillors and tenant groups and listened to customer comments and complaints.

YOU TOLD US YOU LIKE • Knowing your Housing Officers • Improvements made to garden areas • Tenant led walkabouts

BUT YOU ALSO TOLD US YOU WOULD LIKE US TO DO BETTER

• Issues with communal bin stores • Unkempt gardens • Estate management issues

6 Rate your estates: What you told us

You said . . Neighbourhood We will Update you by

Review Housing You would like better Caretakers routes as required. management of March 2018 – poor gardens and Dunfermline Pursue action for provide 6 monthly overgrown hedges tenancy breaches update and trees Work with Partner services

You would like better Touch Link with partner March 2018 – play spaces for services and community provide 6 monthly children Dunfermline North to review options update Work with TRAs and community to resolve You would like estate estate issues. March 2018 – management issues Dunfermline North Work with safer provide 6 monthly addressed including update anti-social behaviour community partners manage any tenancy breaches. Touch - Pilot You would like improvements in 2 March 2018 – improvements in Touch blocks and review provide 6 monthly stairwells and door North Dunfermline Work with mutual update entry systems owners team to review options

You would like Touch Work with TRAs and March 2018 – improvements in bin community to address provide 6 monthly store areas Broomhead issues update Uneven Paths, Review issues and March 2018 – dislodged kerb Dunfermline arrange works as provide 6 monthly stones necessary update Increase number of Tenants and Residents Associations Consult with tenants at You would like to be local events March 2018 – involved in improving Dunfermline provide 6 monthly your local areas Tenant led walkabouts update Work in partnership with Fife Federation of Tenants and Residents Association

7 Get more involved in where you live

Last year, tenants joined in the work to improve where they live by: • Coming along to the tenant gathering to talk about rents • Filling in surveys to tell us about our services • Took part in walk abouts to help rate the estate • Coming together to form Tenants & Residents groups in local areas You can get involved too. Talk to your housing officer to see what is going on in your area, and sign-up to the tenant register for the chance to be involved

TENANT LED WALKABOUT

8 Your Community

The Dunfermline Area Housing Plan contributes to the overall Plan for Fife, which sets out how the Council will work with its partners and local communities to make Fife a fairer and better place to live over the next ten years. The Plan sets out a range of work across four themes: Opportunities for All, Thriving Place, Jobs and Inclusive Growth and Community led Services. Your community plan is available online at: www.fifedirect.org.uk/letstalk If you want to know more, your Community Manager is Joe McGuinness:[email protected]

LOCAL TENANT CONSULTATION EVENT

9 Your Area Housing Team

Supporting the plan and delivering services to tenants is your local Housing Team, led by Housing Manager Mhairi Mullen and Lead Officers Claire Hallett and Lynne Johnston. We have 3.5 Housing Access Officers to manage the empty houses and allocate new tenants to them. They have a lot of knowledge about housing options and can meet with tenants and applicants to explain these. There are 11.5 Housing Management Officers who are the main point of contact for tenants, and their job is to link you in to all the services you need whether repairs, money advice, coping with heating bills, problem neighbours, getting in touch with local job clubs. . the list is a long as you need! In Dunfermline we also have Caretakers, Retirement Housing Officers, Homeless Officers and Revenues Officers we can call on to provide extra help.

10 Useful contacts

Online anytime www.fifedirect.org.uk/doitonline Report it online from flytipping to potholes Request it online from allotments to birth certificates Apply for it online from benefits to library membership Find it online from councillors to courses Pay it online from rent to planning applications

By phone Faults and repairs 03451 550011 (housing, roads, streetlights) Environment 03451 550022 (bins, bulky uplifts, pests) Housing information and advice 03451 550033 Council tax and housing benefit 03451 551155 Passes and concessions 03451 550066 (myfife cards, blue badges) Social Work enquiries 03451 551503 Out of hours 03451 550099 For social work, housing and flooding emergencies - after 5pm week days, 24hrs weekends and public holidays. Calling 03 numbers costs the same as calling landlines starting with 01. 03 numbers are included in pre-paid phone packages and monthly call allowances. Customers should check tariffs with their phone providers. 11 Alternative Formats Information about Fife Council can be made available in large print, braille, audio CD and tape on request by calling 03451 55 55 00 British Sign Language please text (SMS) 07781 480 185 BT Text Direct: 18001 01592 55 11 91

Language lines

Arabic 03451 55 55 77

Bengali 03451 55 55 99 Cantonese 03451 55 55 88

Polish Polskoj˛ezyczna linia telefoniczna: 03451 55 55 44

Urdu 03451 55 55 66