This meeting of the Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny sub-committee is scheduled to receive reports on a variety of subjects related to social housing provision in Tower Hamlets. These include reports on the performance of Tower Hamlets Council and other social landlords in the borough, on the work of the Tenants' Voice panel, and on safety issues.

Performance of social landlords

The sub-committee is scheduled to receive a report on the performance of all social landlords operating in Tower Hamlets against the Regulator for Social Housing's Tenant Satisfaction Measures. The report to be presented includes information about the performance of:

• Aasha Housing
• Clarion
• Eastend Homes
• Gateway Housing
• London & Quadrant
• Notting Hill Genesis
• Poplar HARCA
• Providence Row Housing
• Spitalfields Housing Association
• Swan Housing
• Tower Hamlets Council

The report contains data on these organisations' performance in a range of areas, including:

• the number of homes that meet the Decent Homes Standard¹
• the time taken to complete emergency and non-emergency repairs
• the number of gas, fire, asbestos, water and lift safety checks completed
• the number of complaints made about each landlord per 100 properties, and the proportion of those complaints closed on time
• the number of anti-social behaviour cases per 100 properties
• the average time taken to re-let empty properties.

The report also includes information about the performance of Tower Hamlets Council in managing the properties it took back under its direct control from Tower Hamlets Homes in November 2023.

In Q2, Poplar HARCA, Spitalfields and Providence had a non-decency rate of 0

Number of non-decent homes down by 11.5% for Gateway Housing.

Only Swan Housing do not have a compliance rate of over 99% [for gas safety checks]

Only Clarion (98.89%) and Gateway (98.11%) were under 99% [for fire safety checks] in Q2

Resident engagement

A presentation is scheduled to be made by Lesley Owen, Business Development & Improvement manager at Tower Hamlets Council, and Pawla Cottage, the Chair of the Tenants' Voice panel.

The presentation is scheduled to describe the work done by the Tenants' Voice panel, which was created in May 2024 when Tower Hamlets Council brought its housing stock back under its own management.

Tenants’ Voice - Established in May 2024 following the insourcing of Tower Hamlets Homes.

Purpose - resident-led group set up to ensure that tenants of the council have their needs, concerns and aspirations listened to, heard and acted upon by LBTH.

Composition – Up to 8 tenants and 3 leaseholders. There are currently 3 tenant vacancies

It is also scheduled to cover:

• feedback the panel has received
• the panel's priorities
• the panel's relationship with the Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Sub Committee.

Fire and building safety and the treatment of damp and mould.

Two officers are scheduled to give presentations on these subjects:

• Darren Cruice, Head of Asset Management & Compliance, on fire and building safety
• Ian Morrison, Interim Director of Property & Assets on the treatment of damp and mould

Mr Cruice's presentation is expected to cover the legal requirements on the council to ensure its properties are fire safe, and how it is working to remediate the building safety issues it inherited from Tower Hamlets Homes. In particular the presentation is expected to address the issue of ACM cladding on the Council's housing stock.

Randall House - Removal of ACM cladding – Works in progress

Legal advice from solicitors

Further surveys to be conducted to other buildings.

Mr Morrison's presentation will describe how the council manages the repairs process for tenants who report damp and mould, and the different treatments the Council uses.

When Damp & Mould is Identified, what do we do? - Assess the works and allocate a priority:

* Priority 1 – Severe Damp
* Priority 2 – Low Level Damp & Mould

Residents affected by damp & mould - Will be given advice and support on the causes of damp & mould and how to minimise this in their home.

His presentation will also describe a pilot scheme the council is going to undertake to use smart thermostats made by a company called Switchee to address damp and mould issues in tenants' homes.