The Housing Select Committee met on Tuesday 16 July 2024 to discuss the Regulator of Social Housing's response to Lewisham's self-referral, an update on property licensing implementation, and to agree the committee's work programme for the upcoming year. Key decisions included requesting housing providers to notify the council at an early stage about cases where they intend to use Ground 8 of the Housing Act 1988 for possession.

Regulator of Social Housing's Response to Lewisham's Self-Referral

The committee received an update on Lewisham's self-referral to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) in December 2023, following a review of services after Lewisham Homes transitioned back to the council. The RSH issued a Regulatory Notice in March 2024, identifying breaches of the Home Standard relating to the management of Decent Homes, the repairs service, and fire safety performance. The council has been working with the RSH, with monthly meetings held to review progress on rectifying these issues.

A stock condition survey, which began in February 2024, has so far surveyed 5,830 properties, with 29% found to be non-decent. The most common issues identified are damp and mould, carbon monoxide detectors, and electrical hazards. Regarding fire safety, there are currently 3,250 overdue fire risk assessment actions, a reduction from the time of the self-referral. The repairs service has seen improvements in call answering times, with average waits reduced from 70 to 19 minutes. However, the average time to complete a responsive repair is 36 days, and only 66% of non-emergency repairs were completed on time. Tenant satisfaction with the overall repairs service stands at 48%. The committee was also updated on the complaints handling process, with 127 cases currently with the Housing Ombudsman, predominantly related to repairs, damp, mould, and disrepair.

Property Licensing Implementation Update

The committee received an update on the progress of the council's property licensing schemes. The additional HMO licensing scheme, launched in April 2022, has identified and brought approximately 2,300 HMOs into the scheme, representing 25-38% of the estimated licensable HMOs. Despite challenges with staffing and IT systems, the team has issued 1,300 licences and issued 73 Civil Penalty Notices. A backlog of over 900 unprocessed HMO licence applications is being addressed through a dedicated project.

The selective licensing scheme, which came into effect on 1st July 2024, covers approximately 90% of the borough. The scheme has already received 4,700 applications during its early bird period. Unlike HMO licensing, not all properties will be inspected prior to licensing; instead, 60% of licensable properties will be inspected over the scheme's five-year duration, with applications being risk-rated and prioritised for inspection. The scheme is expected to be self-funding, with projected running costs of £10.5 million over five years. Challenges in implementation include recruitment of trained inspectors and customer service operatives, and the need for robust IT capabilities.

Select Committee Work Programme

The committee discussed and agreed its work programme for the 2024-25 municipal year. Key items for scrutiny include the Regulator of Social Housing's response to Lewisham's self-referral, an update on private rented sector landlord licensing, the Building for Lewisham Programme, and a review of the Housing Assistance Policy. The committee also considered opportunities for informal information gathering sessions, public engagement, and site visits.

Responses from Mayor and Cabinet

The committee noted the provisional response from Mayor and Cabinet regarding the use of Schedule 2, Ground 8 of the Housing Act 1988 by Housing Providers in Lewisham. The committee had previously expressed concern about the use of this mandatory ground for possession against social tenants and requested an investigation into whether the council could insist at the nomination stage that Ground 8 is not used against Lewisham nominees. The Mayor and Cabinet's response indicated that officers had investigated this matter and found limited use of Ground 8 across the housing providers, typically only in extreme rent arrears cases and as a last resort. While the council has nomination rights, it cannot control how registered providers manage their stock once an applicant has been nominated, as Ground 8 is enshrined in statute. The council resolved to request housing providers to notify it at an early stage about cases in which they intend to use Ground 8.