The Kentish Town District Management Committee (DMC) is expected to hear reports on a variety of subjects at their meeting, including CCTV, the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), tenant participation and the Regis Road regeneration. It is not known whether all of these topics will actually be discussed, or whether any decisions will be made.

Regis Road Regeneration

The DMC will be given an update on the progress of the Regis Road regeneration. Yoo Capital plan to create the Camden Film Quarter on the Regis Road Growth Area, a site earmarked for redevelopment in Camden’s 2017 local plan. The Camden Film Quarter is an employment-led initiative anchored by film studios and facilities for education and creative industries. As part of the scheme, Yoo Capital plan to build new homes, with 50% designated as 'affordable'. The existing council facilities at Holmes Road will be re-provided. Yoo Capital are working with Council departments, including the repairs service, to plan the replacement facilities. The Council's area regeneration team has already gathered information on residents' preferences for the new homes on the Holmes Road site. Residents will be consulted on the plans for the new homes on the site. Yoo Capital will soon begin discussions with Camden’s planning authority. If planning permission is granted, the new facilities are not expected to be ready until 2028/29.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget 2025/26

The DMC will receive a report on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and its budget for 2025/26. The report pack contains information on the current forecasts for the budget, which predict a £3.5 million overspend. The overspend is mainly due to the cost of repairs, insurance, depreciation of HRA assets and higher interest rates. The report suggests that the national social housing funding model is broken, saying:

The self-financing regime has been completely undermined with the funding system for social housing fundamentally broken - its foundations require fixing.

The report states that Camden's HRA has lost £168 million since 2016, compared to what the council would have received if the previous national policy on rent increases had remained in place. This loss has meant that there is less money available to reinvest in the HRA's stock and services. The main source of income for the HRA is social rents. Under the Government’s current Rent Standard, Camden is permitted to increase social rents by a maximum of 2.7% in 2025/26. The report states that this would generate £3.7 million in income, adding an average of £3.84 per week to the rent of a two bedroom property. The report suggests that Camden's average rents are still lower than they would have been if they had only increased in line with inflation (CPI) since 2015/16. This is because rents were fixed at 7% in 2023/24, when CPI was 10.1%, and because rents were cut by 1% each year between 2016 and 2020. The report recommends that Camden's HRA focus on financial stability and repaying the money that has been drawn from its reserves. To achieve this, the report suggests that the council will need to make further budget cuts. It also states that Camden will work with other local authorities to lobby the Government for additional financial support for social housing.

Housing Transformation

The DMC is to receive an update on the progress of the Housing Transformation programme. Camden’s housing stock is said to be facing serious financial and regulatory challenges, which are part of a wider structural crisis in UK housing. According to the report, a number of austerity-driven policies have led to Camden’s HRA losing £135 million in rental income by 2023/24. The report goes on to say that this lack of resources, in conjunction with the unanticipated cost of dealing with issues like fire safety and damp & mould, have meant that Camden has had to use its HRA reserves, leaving less available money for future investment. The report states that the cost of living crisis and the reduction in the number of affordable properties in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) has led to a 61% increase in the number of people presenting as homeless in 2024. The report says:

With around 40% less PRS properties to offer residents since 2019, there has been a sharp rise in those placed in temporary accommodation and joining Camden’s housing register, which comes with additional financial pressures on both the general fund and HRA.

The report highlights Camden’s performance in meeting the Decent Homes Standard, which is currently at 9%, below the London average. Despite this relative success, the report states that Camden faces a significant financial challenge in meeting future regulatory requirements. The report suggests that in the face of these challenges, Camden will focus on ensuring that its housing services are “relational”, “accessible” and “driven by data”. The report lists a number of achievements already made by the Housing Transformation Programme, including:

• The streamlining of housing service areas,
• Slowing the increase in rent arrears,
• Implementing a new digital system to help staff manage rent arrears (RentSense),
• Creating a Domestic Violence and Abuse policy and improving support for victims,
• Running a number of resident panels,
• Developing a borough wide approach to tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and setting up an ASB taskforce, and
• Holding a “Resident Action Day”.

The report also sets out the workstreams and priorities of the Housing Transformation programme, including:

• Ensuring compliance with new regulations,
• Transforming housing's “front door”,
• Developing an Asset Management Strategy,
• Developing a relational practice model for housing staff,
• Improving data services,
• Working with the Neighbourhoods Programme,
• Developing a new tenant participation model, and
• Improving the voids service.

The report concludes by providing an update on the restructuring of housing services. The restructure aims to improve staff retention and service delivery.

CCTV

The DMC will hear a report on the progress of the Council’s CCTV replacement programme. The report states that 42% of the 55 estates originally identified for CCTV upgrades have now been completed. The council plan to install 700 new cameras in total, an additional 88 cameras on top of those originally planned. The report says that these additional cameras will be installed “where better coverage is required”. The report states that the programme is funded by tenants’ and leaseholders’ service charges. For estates without CCTV, the council state that new installations would be subject to a number of considerations, including:

• Whether CCTV is a proportionate response,
• Whether it is technically possible to install cameras in the requested locations,
• Whether the cameras would support the priorities of the Camden Community Safety Partnership, and
• Whether there is community support for the cameras.

The report also states that new installations would be subject to financial constraints and resident consultation.

Kentish Town DMC Budget

The DMC will be provided with an update on the current status of its budget. The budget for 2024/25 is £154,680. Out of this, £137,371.74 has already been allocated, leaving £17,308.26 available for new bids. The report pack contains a breakdown of the allocated money and details of the bids that have been made and approved. St Pancras Way Estate TRA will be asking for permission to use unallocated DMC funds for new projects, now that plans to build a new community hub on the estate have been cancelled. The money would instead be spent on an outdoor gym and additional parking deterrents for the estate. The TRA will need to gain approval from the DMC to use the money in this way.

Property Services and Housing Management - Void Properties

The DMC will receive an update on Camden’s void properties. A void property is a council property that is empty and available to let. There are currently 429 void properties in the borough. The report states that Camden has taken a number of steps to improve the speed with which void properties are re-let. This includes allocating additional resources to carry out repairs in empty properties, advertising properties sooner and increasing the number of staff working in the lettings teams.

Performance Update - KPIs

The DMC will receive an update on the performance of Camden's housing services, based on its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The report states that Housing and Property services are moving towards “a data and insight driven approach”, which will focus on “achieving meaningful results”. The report says:

Creating a well-defined performance framework, with outcomes aligned to ‘We Make Camden’ and ‘Good Life Camden’, enables us to unify and interpret diverse data—covering areas such as our new Service Standards, regulatory compliance, and more.

The report acknowledges that Camden's current performance framework has been criticised for being insufficiently “outcome-focused” and suggests that Camden will shift towards “measurement for learning”. The report also highlights the opportunities provided by new digital tools in supporting improved performance management and states that Camden is developing new systems that will provide “a single source of truth”.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Better Homes

Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali, the Cabinet Member for Better Homes, will provide a general update on the work of her portfolio. Councillor Abdi-Wali’s report highlights the pressure on Camden’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget, caused by factors like rent freezes and the cost of complying with new regulations on fire and building safety. The report states that London Councils, a cross-party organisation that represents London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London, estimate that London’s boroughs face a cumulative £700 million deficit in their HRAs. Councillor Abdi-Wali states that although she welcomes the Government's recent announcement on Right to Buy receipts and the additional money available through the Affordable Homes Programme, Camden is also lobbying for a long-term solution to the funding crisis in social housing, including a ten year rent settlement and an HRA debt review. Councillor Abdi-Wali’s report also states that Camden’s MTFS aims to make £7.51 million in savings from the HRA by 2025/26, but suggests that inflationary pressures, repairs, and temporary accommodation costs may make this difficult. The report highlights Camden’s work on improving its repairs service, saying that they have allocated additional resources, refined processes and provided more training. It also highlights Camden’s commitment to tackling damp and mould. Camden’s recent performance on repairs and maintenance is said to have achieved an 85% customer satisfaction rating. Councillor Abdi-Wali’s report highlights Camden’s efforts on fire safety and compliance with the Building Safety Act 2022. It states that 94% of Camden’s tenants now have smoke detectors and that 99.3% of properties have a valid gas safety certificate. Councillor Abdi-Wali’s report also states that Camden has submitted the initial Building Safety Case Reports to the regulator and has developed a five year plan to achieve compliance across all its high-rise buildings by 2028. Councillor Abdi-Wali goes on to say that Camden is facing a high demand for temporary accommodation, caused by an increase in homelessness. The report states that:

As of September, Camden houses over 968 families in temporary accommodation, and high rental costs mean these placements are often prolonged. This represents a sharp increase of 287 families since September 2023.

The report states that Camden is tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) through its ASB taskforce, which works with the police and local community groups. The taskforce focuses on both early intervention and longer-term prevention. Councillor Abdi-Wali’s report also highlights Camden’s efforts to address overcrowding, which affects approximately 10% of Camden’s households. Camden is working to increase the number of larger, family-sized homes, through its “family-friendly acquisition programme”. The report goes on to highlight the work done by the Renters’ Rights Hub, which has seen a 45% increase in visitors since its launch in 2023. Councillor Abdi-Wali’s report also highlights the progress made on tackling damp and mould. It states that the number of active cases has been reduced to 325, a reduction of 175 since the last report. Finally, Councillor Abdi-Wali’s report provides an update on the Regis Road regeneration. It states that Camden has signed a conditional land sale agreement with Yoo Capital for the development of the Camden Film Quarter on the site. The agreement requires Yoo Capital to replace Camden’s existing facilities at Holmes Road. The report states that the development is not expected to be completed until 2028/29.