The Gospel Oak District Management Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday 17 September 2026. The agenda includes discussions on the Housing Revenue Account's medium-term financial strategy and tenant engagement for budget setting, an update on housing investigations, and the Gospel Oak DMC's September budget report. Other topics include a paper from the Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Homelessness Prevention, performance reports, and local issues raised by members.

HRA Medium Term Financial Strategy & Engagement for Budget Setting 2027/28

A report is scheduled for discussion regarding the financial challenges facing the Council and their impact on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The report outlines early headlines concerning these financial pressures and proposes an approach for engaging tenants in the budget-setting process for 2027/28. It highlights that the Council's main budget, the General Fund, is facing significant pressures due to rising demand for essential services, with an estimated £85 million to £90 million in savings needed by 2029/30. The HRA budget is also under strain due to reduced rental income, rising inflation, interest rates, and maintenance costs, as well as increased spending on safety improvements, damp and mould, and disrepair cases. The report estimates that even with maximum allowable rent increases, the HRA will need to find £8 million to £12 million in savings over the next three years.

The report also details a proposed change to the rent-setting consultation format. Historically, this consultation has been conducted through District Management Committees (DMCs), but feedback from the January 2026 Rent Setting Event indicated that tenants felt unable to influence the outcome. The new approach aims to make the consultation more open, accessible, and meaningful for every tenant, offering online participation, written submissions, and face-to-face events. While DMCs will still be invited to provide feedback as a group, the Joint DMC meeting in January is proposed to be cancelled and replaced with these wider consultation exercises. Key dates for this process include a Meet the Heads Property Event on 14 October, previews at DMCs in December, and a consultation window leading up to the January Cabinet decision.

Housing Investigations

The meeting agenda includes a report providing an update on the work of the Housing Investigations team (HIT). This team is responsible for ensuring that individuals living in council homes or applying to purchase them are entitled to do so. They also investigate tenancy fraud and breaches of tenancy conditions, such as illegal subletting, non-occupation, undeclared property ownership, and fraudulent right-to-buy or succession applications. The report notes that in the 2025-2026 period, 55 homes were recovered due to ineligible applications or unauthorised occupancy. The report also quantifies the estimated financial impact of tenancy fraud, citing a figure of £3.63 million based on the number of homes recovered and the London average cost of tenancy fraud.

Gospel Oak DMC September Budget Report

A report detailing the Gospel Oak DMC's budget allocation for 2026/2027 is scheduled for discussion. This report will cover the progress on approved bids and any new bids that have been submitted for consideration. The total budget for minor and major revenue works for the financial year is £154,060. The report encourages all Tenants' and Residents' Associations (TRAs) to submit bids early to allow for assessment before DMC consideration, with all expenditure needing to occur within the current financial year. Unspent budget generally cannot be carried forward, though exceptions can be made in exceptional circumstances with the Finance Department's approval. TRAs are advised to use the Special Projects Grant (SPG) for social activities, which has a £750 limit. The report also states that no bids have been considered or approved to date for the Gospel DMC for the 2026/27 financial year, with one bid for consideration at the September meeting: a request for £2,500 from Maitland Park TRA for Common Birds Habitat Panel lecterns.

Cabinet Member Better Homes and Homelessness Prevention Paper

An update from Councillor Anna Wright, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Homelessness Prevention, is scheduled to be presented. The update will cover several key areas. Firstly, it will provide an update on voids turnaround times, noting a reduction in active void properties from a peak of 480 to 327 as of June 2026, with routine turnaround times reduced to 109 days. The report encourages DMC members to highlight any council homes they believe have been empty for a long period or appear abandoned. Secondly, the update will focus on improvements to the IT systems supporting the Homes and Communities Directorate, including priorities for Temporary Accommodation, Awaab's Law, Resident Interaction (Project Lighthouse), and True Compliance. Thirdly, there will be an update on the new in-house gas boiler team based at Holmes Road, noting positive feedback from residents despite some ongoing IT issues. The report will also cover the introduction of an automated SMS notification service for lift repairs, details on the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP), and winter preparedness for heating and hot water systems. Finally, there will be an update on the completion of the major works programme at the Chalcots Estate and progress on the commitment to improve safety in council homes across Camden, including investments in fire safety works.

Homes & Communities Performance Report - Quarter 1 2026/27

This information item will provide the District Management Committee (DMC) with an update on the performance of services delivered in-house by the Homes & Communities directorate during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year (April to June 2026). The report covers Housing Solutions, Allocations and Lettings, Housing Income and Leasehold Services, Neighbourhoods, Building Safety, and Repairs. It highlights a mixed picture, with high demand for housing services, including over 1,100 homelessness approaches and an increasing number of households in temporary accommodation. Positive improvements are noted in housing income performance, with rent collection exceeding the amount due and rent arrears reducing. Building safety and compliance performance remains strong overall, although challenges persist in gas certification and reducing overdue fire and building safety actions. The repairs service continues to focus on reducing backlogs and improving home quality, with backlogs of overdue repairs substantially lower than earlier in the year, though performance against non-emergency repair timescales has declined. Neighbourhood management performance shows continued action on antisocial behaviour and domestic abuse, alongside an increase in tenancy visits.

Tenant Engagement Quarterly Report: June, July, August 2026

This report shares insights and recommendations from the quarterly monitoring of tenant engagement activities and forums supported by Housing and Property Services. It covers the current programme of engagement events, evaluation of resident feedback, applications to the Special Projects Grant, applications to the District Management Committee Fund, and Stories of Impact. The report notes record numbers of tenants and leaseholders attending the Summer 2026 Neighbourhood Action Days, with events held in Hampstead, Kentish Town, and Gospel Oak. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with 85.1% rating their experience positively. The report also details proposals for improving tenant consultation around proposed changes to rents, aiming for a more accessible and meaningful process for all tenants. It highlights that 13 applications were received for the Special Projects Grant, totalling £9,285, and 14 funding applications were received for the District Management Committee Fund, amounting to £106,020.

Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) Survey

This information item will update the DMC on the latest Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) results for the 2025/2026 financial year, as required by the Regulator of Social Housing. These measures provide a standardised view of landlord performance from the tenant's perspective, encompassing both perception measures from tenant surveys and management information derived from operational data. The report will present results for various indicators, including complaints, anti-social behaviour, repairs, building safety, and tenant satisfaction with overall service, repairs, home maintenance, safety, and engagement. It notes that Camden's headline overall satisfaction score for 2025/26 was 69.3%, a slight decrease from the previous year. The report highlights improvements in satisfaction with the time taken to complete repairs and complaints handling, while noting declines in perceptions of how Camden listens to tenants and acts upon their views, and how anti-social behaviour is handled. It also details a decrease in communal lift safety checks and provides an overview of actions taken based on these results.

Registration of Tenants' Associations and Co-option of Tenant Representatives

The meeting will consider the registration of Tenants' and Residents' Associations (TRAs). Appendix A of the relevant document lists those TRAs that have satisfactorily completed the registration process, along with details of the representatives to be co-opted onto the DMC. Appendix B lists TRAs whose registrations have lapsed. If a TRA wishes to register, it must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) open to all members, with an independent observer present. The minutes of the AGM, along with a membership list and a completed registration form, must be sent to the Tenant Participation Team.

Minutes and Progress Report

The committee is scheduled to review and approve the minutes of the Gospel Oak DMC meeting held on 16 July 2026. Additionally, a progress report and any other matters arising from the previous meeting will be considered.

Local Issues

DMC members will have the opportunity to raise and discuss any local issues they deem relevant.