The Holborn District Management Committee is scheduled to convene on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, with a key focus on the financial strategy for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and proposed changes to tenant engagement for budget setting. The meeting will also address the ongoing issues with heating at the Brunswick Centre and provide an update from the Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Homelessness Prevention.

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

A significant portion of the discussion is expected to centre on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Medium Term Financial Strategy and the proposed approach to engaging tenants in the budget-setting process for 2027/28. The report highlights substantial financial challenges facing the Council, with the HRA budget under strain due to rising costs, inflation, interest rates, and increased expenditure on essential safety and legal requirements, such as fire safety improvements and the implementation of Awaab's Law¹. It is estimated that the Council will need to find between £8 million and £12 million in savings over the next three years to balance the housing budget, even with maximum allowable rent increases.

The report also outlines a proposed shift in the tenant engagement strategy for rent setting. Historically, consultation has been primarily 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 be more open, accessible, and meaningful to every tenant, offering online participation, written submissions, and face-to-face events. While DMCs will continue to play a valued role, the Joint DMC meeting in January is proposed to be cancelled in favour of these wider consultation exercises. Key dates for this new timetable include a Meet the Heads Property Event in October, preview of proposals at DMCs in December, and a consultation window leading up to the January Cabinet decision.

Brunswick Centre Heating

An update is scheduled regarding the communal heating breakdown at the Brunswick Centre which affected residents between October 2025 and January 2026. The report is expected to detail the work undertaken to resolve the issues, including the nearing completion of boiler-house and pump renewal works. It will also summarise the lessons learned from the incident, highlighting the need for earlier identification of problems, improved winter contingency planning, clearer responsibility for managing significant incidents, and enhanced communication with residents. Further investment has been identified for associated roof-level equipment and insulation to improve reliability and reduce heat loss. The learning from this incident is being used to inform wider winter preparedness and out-of-hours incident response arrangements.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Homelessness Prevention

Councillor Anna Wright, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Homelessness Prevention, is scheduled to provide an update. This is expected to cover progress on the Voids Improvement Programme, aiming to reduce the number of active void properties and improve turnaround times. Councillor Wright is also seeking input from DMC members on any council homes they believe have been empty for a long period or appear abandoned, to help officers cross-check these against existing records. The update will also touch upon improvements to IT systems supporting the Homes and Communities Directorate, including those for Temporary Accommodation, Awaab's Law, Resident Interaction (Project Lighthouse), and compliance management. Furthermore, an update on the new in-house gas boiler team and the automated SMS notification service for lift repairs is anticipated.

Holborn DMC Budget

The Holborn DMC budget for 2026/2027, totalling £147,650, will be reviewed. The report details the expenditure to date and any new bids submitted for consideration. Currently, £20,547 of the budget has been approved, leaving a balance of £127,103. Two new bids are scheduled for consideration: one from Medway Court TRA for £4,435 for a Gerda lock to improve security, and an officer-led bid for £887 for a Gerda lock at 50 Britannia Street to address unauthorised access and anti-social behaviour. The report also lists itemised bids that have been approved to date, including projects for Flaxman Court TRA and Somerton House.

Homes & Communities Performance Report - Quarter 1 2026/27

This report will provide an overview of the Homes & Communities directorate's performance during the first quarter of the financial year (April to June 2026). It is expected to cover key areas such as Housing Solutions, Allocations and Lettings, Housing Income and Leasehold Services, Neighbourhoods, Building Safety, and Repairs. The report indicates a mixed picture, with high demand for housing services and an increasing number of households in temporary accommodation, alongside positive improvements in housing income performance and strong building safety and compliance figures. Challenges remain in areas such as gas safety compliance and reducing overdue fire and building safety actions. The repairs service continues to focus on reducing backlogs and improving repair completion rates, though performance against non-emergency repair timescales has declined.

Tenant Engagement Quarterly Report: June, July, August 2026

This report will share insights and recommendations from the monitoring of tenant engagement activities and forums supported by Housing and Property Services. It is expected to cover the current programme of engagement events, evaluation of resident feedback, and applications to the Special Projects Grant and the District Management Committee Fund. The report highlights a record number of attendees at Neighbourhood Action Days and a strong engagement from tenants. It also notes that the majority of attendees are older residents, with a clear opportunity to increase participation among younger tenants. Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, with residents valuing in-person access to services and the opportunity to voice their opinions. Areas for improvement include requests for more frequent events and enhanced publicity.

Engagement Report

An update on engagement activities within the Holborn District from July to September 2026 is scheduled. A key focus has been supporting Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs) to hold their Annual General Meetings (AGMs) to regain A-listed status, with successful AGMs held for Derby Lodge, Hastings House, and the newly established Cavendish Mansions. Progress is also being made towards establishing a new TRA in Grafton Way. The Holborn Neighbourhood Action Day took place at the beginning of September, and the autumn term programme for Your Home, Your Learning has been promoted, offering free courses. Challenges and successes are noted, including improved engagement with the Your Home, Your Learning programme following a refreshed marketing approach.

TSM Results FY25/26

This report will present Camden's Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) results for the 2025/2026 financial year, as required by the Regulator of Social Housing. These measures provide a national comparison of landlord performance from tenants' perspectives, covering both perception measures from tenant surveys and management information from operational data. The report indicates a mixed picture, with a decrease in overall satisfaction from the previous year, though still above the baseline. While satisfaction with repairs and complaints handling has improved, there have been declines in perceptions of how Camden listens to tenants and acts on their views, and how anti-social behaviour is handled. Satisfaction with home safety remains high, while complaints handling and ASB handling are areas of lowest satisfaction.

Action Points Update

The committee will receive an update on the progress of action points arising from previous meetings. This includes actions related to the Constitution and Code of Conduct, the Refreshed DMC Funding & Bidding Process, Awaab's Law progress, and local issues such as leaks and the requisitioning of flats for TRA halls.