The Housing Scrutiny Committee will receive an annual report on the Community Investment Programme (CIP), a report on the performance of Housing Associations (HAs) in Camden, an update on the Housing Ombudsman’s report and its recommendations and an update from the Cabinet Member for Better Homes.

Community Investment Programme (CIP)

The Community Investment Programme (CIP) will provide its annual report for 2024. The report pack contains a summary of CIP’s activities during the last 12 months, including recently completed projects, projects currently under construction, and projects in the pipeline.

The report says that CIP’s key highlights for 2024 are:

• Completion of three residential schemes at Tybalds Estate, Central Somers Town, and Agar Grove Estate, with a total of 169 new homes.
• Completion of two non-residential schemes, Liddell Place Workspace and Highgate Newtown Community Centre.
• Entering into two development agreements for Bacton Phase 2 and Camley Street, expected to deliver approximately 750 new homes.
• Winning three awards: the British Homes Awards 2024, the Architect’s Journal Architecture Award 2024 for Maitland Park, and the Best Low Carbon Home category at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards for the Agar Grove Estate development.

The report pack also includes information on CIP’s social value outcomes, energy efficiency measures, and cost savings for residents, as well as an update on the sales market and construction market.

CIP has also secured £60m in funding to deliver more temporary accommodation for homeless families and those at risk of homelessness. It highlights the ongoing work on temporary accommodation acquisition programmes and its efforts to provide innovative solutions for delivering the facilities residents need.

Housing Ombudsman’s Special Investigation

The report pack includes an update on the Housing Ombudsman’s recent special investigation into the London Borough of Camden, which concluded in November 2024. The report details the findings and the action plan that is being developed in partnership with the Housing Ombudsman to address its recommendations.

The special investigation looked at 52 cases at Camden. 20 cases dated from 2021 or before, 27 cases were from 2022 and two cases were from 2023.

The Ombudsman’s report made 13 recommendations. The report pack contains a summary of the recommendations and the Council’s response. A draft action plan will also be provided. The action plan includes:

• Working with the Housing Ombudsman to review complaints handling processes.
• Improving communications with residents when there are delays to responses.
• Reviewing Camden’s approach to “Business as Usual” enquiries to ensure those that should be considered as complaints are being dealt with correctly.
• Reviewing the use of standard template letters to ensure they are compliant with the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
• Developing a new system for tracking actions promised in responses to complaints.
• Creating a clear escalation pathway for residents when agreed actions are not completed.
• Providing clearer guidance for staff on compensation and monitoring compensation payments to ensure consistency.
• Reviewing the way complaint cases are recorded to ensure data captured and performance reporting is transparent and accurate.
• Developing a new process for Quality Assurance and sharing this with the Ombudsman and the governing body.
• Sharing the findings of the internal audit into complaints handling.
• Sharing the Housing Ombudsman’s Special Investigation report with the Council’s Customer Experience Oversight Panel and its Housing and Property Residents’ Panel.
• Developing a new system for monitoring outstanding repairs.
• Creating a Knowledge and Information Management framework for all stages of the repairs process.
• Updating the Council’s approach to vulnerability.

The report pack also includes an update on the repairs service and planned actions to address concerns. It provides context about the pressures on the Council’s repairs service, the funding context for social housing repairs, and the specific challenges facing Camden. It also includes a summary of the work that has already been undertaken to improve the service.

Housing Associations Annual Performance Report

The report pack contains information on the performance of HAs in Camden. The report pack focusses on the four HAs with the most stock in the borough, which are Clarion, Notting Hill Genesis (NHG), Riverside and Origin.

The report pack looks at:

• Sale of HA stock by HA over the last 12 months
• Investment in HA stock in Camden by HA over the last 12 months
• Average turnaround time for letting void properties by HA
• Percentage of stock that was void by HA
• Number of evictions carried out by each HA for different reasons
• Current rent arrears as a percentage of rent roll by HA
• Number of homes converted from social rent to other tenures by HA
• Number of new lifetime tenancies and fixed term tenancies issued by HA
• Performance of each HA on responsive repairs and ASB
• Number of referrals to Camden’s Private Sector Housing Team from each HA’s tenants
• Development of new affordable homes in Camden by HA over the last five years

Annual Report of the Cabinet Member for Better Homes

The report pack contains an update from Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali, Cabinet Member for Better Homes.

It includes information on:

• Financial pressures and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA)
• Neighbourhoods
• Estate services
• Property Engagement and Customer Services, including Capital Works and Repairs
• Fire Safety
• Damp and Mould
• Tenant participation work
• Improving standards in the Private Rented Sector
• Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Temporary Accommodation
• Borough Of Sanctuary
• The Estates Mission

The report pack highlights the challenges faced by Camden Council and the national context within which the Council is operating. It highlights the impact of the previous Conservative Government’s policies on the funding of social housing and the financial pressures this has put on Camden’s HRA. It also highlights the impact of the cost of living crisis on Camden’s residents, and the increase in demand for homelessness prevention services.

The report pack says the Council has been successful in mitigating some of the impacts of these challenges, using reserves and finding new, more cost-effective ways of providing temporary accommodation for homeless families.

The report pack also highlights some of the successes of the last 12 months including:

• The successful implementation of new digital services for tenants, such as the ability to report repairs and access information via WhatsApp.
• The Council’s focus on damp and mould, leading to significant reductions in the number of emergency cases.
• The Council’s investment in fire safety, ensuring that Camden’s housing stock meets the highest safety standards.

The report pack also highlights areas where improvements are still needed, including the private rented sector. It says that while Camden has strengthened its licensing schemes and enforcement measures, systemic change at the national level is essential.

It ends by outlining Camden Council’s priorities for the future, including expanding support for private renters and improving resident engagement.