Forum Topic

Have LBH money to spare??

A house in Cherry Crescent Council owned is having a double extension even now erected onto the side, why is this, I do hope that not another Council Executive has overridden Hounslow Homes yet again and earmarked it for their own expedience, I have the utmost sympathy for homeless people however when such homeless people have 4 cars then they are not destitute are they?

Dawn Hardy ● 5523d14 Comments

Hi Dawn, I may shed some light on this.  When I was Lead Member for Housing I decided to turn an extensions pilot into a rolling programme. I did so in response to listening to residents who were overcrowded but would rather stay in the area that currently lived in.Apart from • transforming stock to match demographic need – we need larger family housing for larger families in this Borough – • being good value for money - one could carry out 3-4 extension projects for the same cost as one new-build – • families could stay in their existing homes, a key consideration since their children, (usually the reason for overcrowding) could continue at the same schools without the need for long commutes way across the Borough.If I remember rightly the scheme was funded by the Affordable Housing Fund the repository of receipts from the sales of properties that the Council had disposed of as being unsuitable for current needs.

Jon Hardy ● 5523d

Thanks Jon,This particular house had an older man in it and unfortunately a small fire took place, he is now in Sheltered Accommodation presumably the extended house will now go to a large family hopefully one on Hounslow Homes Listing who have waited a long time.

Dawn Hardy ● 5523d

By seeing what has happen to local housing near me, this unit wont go to a local family who have been on the list for years. It will go on need to some one who has been here for a very short time and can ride over local people.Someone I know in Feltham told me last week that in bidding for a place on Locata she was one of 1043 people going for a three bedroom unit.

David Squire ● 5522d

Hi David,The manner in which Housing is allocated in this Borough is by a 'choice-based lettings' system called LOCATA following an allocations criteria.  Basically what it attempts to do is allocate property to those in the greatest need.  It is not perfect.  Following a year long Scrutiny in to the system the Allocations policy was completely re-vamped with the benefit of input from local people on the 'waiting list' (though we don't use that term any more) to make it clearer (and therefore easier to use) fairer and a better fit for the demographic of this Borough.  It's still not perfect.The essential problem is this: we have 'Council' 16,000 homes in Hounslow: the trouble is peope already live in them! Each year around 800 become available because of churn: people dying, moving out of the area, buying privately, or simply moving to a bigger Council property. Unfortunately there are around 10,000 people on the social housing register. Which is why it takes a long time for people to get a property.What is the Council doing about this? Well, for the first time in a couple of decades LBH started building new units in 2007 and the current administration is continuing the programme: I cannot remember the exact figures but something in excess of 500 units were planned; but still a drop in the ocean compared with need.In addition, we have taken advantage of the flat housing market to persuade developers to build more 'affordable' units: with development of 10 units and above developers are obliged to build such units which are then handed over to an RSL like Notting Hill Housing for management.  The developers get a grant of I think £122,000 from the government for the build which in poor market conditions keeps the wheel turning.  Housing officers in Hounslow encouraged developers to build a higher percentage of 'affordable' units to the extent we exceeded our Boris target of 484 units/year by over 20%: the build on Hounslow High Street adjacent to the Bus Garage is 100% affordable for instance: normally the ratio is about 35% though I don't have current figures. But still a drop in the ocean.The gap is often filled by small private landlords but they have not been helped by the cut in 2009 in Local Housing Allowance.

Jon Hardy ● 5522d

Jon, I think it's interesting that you put 'affordable' in quotes, is this because in reality it is 'affordable' housing for a very few people? That I must say is how I see it, neither of my sons could even touch this so-called 'affordable' housing on salaries from working in the public sector. Also it is worth noting that Boris backtracked on a lot of developments having to have a proportion of the 'affordable' element that Ken Livingstone insisted on.  As for 'Locata' I have had the dubious honour of seeing how this works with a three bed house near me, it was empty from April until August, and the pathetic b/s fed to councillors by Hopeless Homes to councillors who I contacted about this scandal was really insulting. I accept from experience that there is no such thing as a housing points system that is absolutely fair to everyone, and you'd go mad trying to work one out, but HH seems to be run by twelve year old dimwits, at least that's been my experience when trying to get some sense re general matters,all I can say is thank God we are not tenants at their mercy - no-one deserves that fate.

Vanessa Smith ● 5522d

Hi Vanessa,I think I should clarify that Hounslow Homes are responsible for the Housing stock but not the Allocations system. That is the responsibility of Housing at Hounslow.I would be interested to hear more about the empty 3 bed near you: when I was in office there was a hideous problem with Voids (empty houses) our average number of days empty (circa 56) did not compare well with say Hillingdon whose average was around 24 (the figures may not be exactly accurate but you get the gist) Various actions were tried to reduce this and initially there was a spectacular improvement (it dropped to the mid 30's) but then climbed again.in the case of Voids the responsibility is shared between LBH and HH: when a property is vacated it is obviously a good time to do major modernisation work - put in a new kitchen and bathroom - and this would account for the first couple of weeks of being void. However, if you have a glut of properties coming empty at one moment there might not be the manpower within HH to get straight on to it because they're already doing up somewhere else: that's one problem.The second half of the problem is Housing 'letting' the property: we discovered that the advert wasn't going into LOCATA until the property was actually finished and ready for occupation; one of the changes that was made was to show properties before they were finished so they could be occupied as soon as they were.Another thing that had to be changed was the method of viewing: originally only a couple of clients viewed a property each time; if they all turned it down then it would be another fortnight or three weeks before it would be re-advertised; if it was turned down again, well you get the idea. The change that was supposed to happen was viewings with up to 10 clients to increase the probability it would be let first time around.Another snag was that,  as the evening drew in, officers cut down on the number of viewings so that lone officers would not be placed in vulnerable situations; the solution was to ensure that officers were paired up for viewings when it was dusk or dark. I'm just hoping that these changes, which did produce results, were not allowed to drift subsequently.I'm going to check what the state of play is with these things with the Chief Officer.  If you let me have the address of the property you mentioned I will get chapter and verse on that too.  I'll post again when I have the data.By the bye, I enjoyed a really positive working relationship with Bernadette O'Shea, the CEO of HH and found her very helpful; as was Jill Gail, her deputy. Have you been in contact with either of them?

Jon Hardy ● 5522d

Jon DawnHH performance data called 'dashboard' can be found on their website ditto their Board meeting minutes etc.As you say voids are and continue to be an issue and is now under active review. I understand HH want to take over the allocation process.The contract between LBH and HH is being finalised and will require more accountability and performance we are advised. See the Cabinet papers on the LBH website.There is a Scrutiny Panel that deals with Housing related matters who would readily welcome feedback.John

John Todd ● 5522d

Jon HardyI couldn’t believe your post about increasing the amount of people that view a property at one time.Back in 2003, there were three candidates that viewed a property together, each candidate had a letter say that you were either the first person, 2nd or 3rd.I witnessed a candidate  who had a letter saying they would be the first candidates to be offered the property. As the property wasn’t fit for human occupation it took that person some while to make up their mind, but all the while they were getting harassment and abuse from the 2nd and 3rd candidates. The HH officer finally had to escort the first candidate into the kitchen, shut the door and go and have a really harsh words with the other two candidates, which eventually forced the hand of the first candidate to agree to take the property.Just recently there were five candidates viewing housing In Feltham and I was told it was quite obvious who was going to be allocated them by the way they viewed the property, that could have easily started an argument.Did I read it right? You want 10 candidates to view each property to save time, that’s a recipe for a riot with the attitude of the under forties now days, this will put the HH officer at risk, and one of these days being hurt if an argument gets out of hand.                 

Paul Allen ● 5521d

Jon - There is another property on the Twickenham Rd. which was an illegal let - (took HH nearly 18 months to do something about that!) The house has been boarded up presumably because it's on a main road to stop squatting. I shall be fascinated to see if this takes as long to sort out as the one I previously wrote about, 3 bed double fronted with front and back gardens, should just be a formailty to find someone who'd love it I would think. I may be missing something but why would you have umpteen people viewing at the same time? Is it beyond the wit of whoever to make appointments at various times? The mind boggles at the people who run things, booze ups and breweries spring to my mind!

Vanessa Smith ● 5520d

Something else springs to mind about allocating of property Allegedly there are no properties for Disabled residents.When a property has been converted for a disabled resident, like wet rooms, chair lifts, extra grab rails and possible slopes outside, when that resident moves on for whatever reason the property is open for all residents to bid for, as it’s no longer a disabled person home.So if an able-bodied family is offered the property, allegedly HH will not fit a bath to the wet room or other alterations.So if that property has been allocated and a disabled resident is offered a property with no alterations, means that some how either HH or the council through grants has to adapt this property for them.Locator and HH know whom the disabled residents who are biding for properties, why then don’t the disabled get a property already converted? Doesn’t this save HH or the Council money?               

Paul Allen ● 5520d

Frankly we should insist that people who come into the UK can keep themselves also house their families it is grossly unfair that housing is allocated the way it is. It does cause an awful lot of animosity. You can't even get into the US,Oz or Canada on holiday unless you prove that you have enough funds.

Dawn Hardy ● 5520d

The system is totally unfair, if as you say there are only 800 units per year then surely families that have spent years on these listings should automatically have a chance at being housed.

Dawn Hardy ● 5520d

Many thanks

Dawn Hardy ● 5520d

Dawn... any crazy suggestion that housing should be allocated to those who have waited the longest or paid in most is not only racist but could land you in trouble with the civil liberties Police, human rights watch, the political correction re-education dept, the EU, the Anti Nazi league and just about every tax payer funded bleeding heart organisation this side of Ms Chakrivarty and her fan clubAlso it would make too much sense

Harley Buckner ● 5518d