Update on Single Voids Team
Renfrewshire Council · 29 October 2024
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 29 October 2024 and its agenda
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 29 October 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Update on Single Voids Team ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide the Policy Board with an update on the progress of the work to improve void property performance. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 Note the completion of the implementation of several of the specific recommendations, the Team’s success in achieving its Void Rent Loss and Average Re-let Time targets and the progress to date towards the target for Void Numbers. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 As a result of the restrictions that had to be put in place during Covid-19 (effectively stopping void repair works and the re-letting of homes), the number of voids held by RSLs and local authorities including Renfrewshire Council increased significantly. The challenges in driving down this backlog were exacerbated by other factors including a shortage of resources across the construction sector and difficulties in dealing with utilities shippers. 3.2 As detailed in the Service Update Report to the Policy Board of 16 January 2024, as part of its response to reducing the backlog the Council carried out an end-to-end review of void processes.
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3.3 Following review officers have been working differently to support an improved reletting and void approach, including: • The appointment of a Single Voids Manager reporting to the Head of Housing Services; • The establishment of a Single Voids Team, co-located at the Underwood Road depot, bringing together staff from both Housing and Building Services; and • The procurement of a preferred utilities provider (it is anticipated that a report recommending an appointment will be presented to the meeting of the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board on 21 November 2024). 3.4 The establishment of the Single Voids Team has been successful in streamlining processes, including ensuring consistency of scoping works in voids and reducing the amount of additional work required after initial post- inspection. We are concentrating on reducing the numbers of voids, thereby directly reducing void rent loss and indirectly ensuring that re-let times will reduce. As shown below we are already seeing improvements in all of these areas and will continue to focus on driving further improvement, including on reducing the number of “management voids.” These are voids which cannot immediately be made ready-to-let because of – for example – major repairs (including asbestos removal, carbon pilot work, fire damage reinstatement, heating installation, rot works and SHQS works), utilities issues or use as decant accommodation. The number of these has been reduced from 320 on 26 March 2024 to 254 on 1 October 2024. 3.5 It has been agreed that the Single Voids Team pilot should continue throughout the financial year 2024–2025 ie ending on 31 March 2025, with a quarterly review in early January 2025. __________________________________________________________________ 4. Performance Measures 4.1 We have set specific targets for a number of metrics and are measuring progress towards our achieving these on a weekly basis. They are as follows. 4.1.1 Void rent loss The Business Plan assumes that this will be no more than 3.75% of rent due in 2024–2025 (including Homeless Persons’ Unit void rent losses). It is likely that this cannot be achieved within this financial year but it was anticipated that we could gradually reduce void rent loss to a maximum of 3.75% in any given week by 31 March 2025 – roughly equivalent to reducing the figure for the whole year to 4.50%. The graphs below show our progress. By Monday 23 September 2024 we had achieved our target of reducing void rent loss on a week-to-week basis to 3.75% (albeit it rose again slightly the following week). By Monday 9 September 2024 we had already achieved our target of reducing void rent loss on a year-to-date basis to 4.50%. Any further reduction
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in the second half of the financial year will make it more likely that we can achieve the target for 2025–2026 of 3.35%. Graph 1 – void rent loss in £ on a weekly basis Note: except in Homeless Persons’ Unit voids, no rent was due during week commencing 1 July 2024 as this is one of four weeks in the year during which rent is not collected. Graph 2 – void rent loss as a %age on a year-to-date basis £0 £10,000 £20,000 £30,000 £40,000 £50,000 £60,000 £70,000 08/04/2024 22/04/2024 06/05/2024 20/05/2024 03/06/2024 17/06/2024 01/07/2024 15/07/2024 29/07/2024 12/08/2024 26/08/2024 09/09/2024 23/09/2024 07/10/2024 21/10/2024 04/11/2024 18/11/2024 02/12/2024 16/12/2024 30/12/2024 13/01/2025 27/01/2025 10/02/2025 24/02/2025 10/03/2025 24/03/2025 Actual rent lost (Management voids) Actual rent lost (Operational, not including Homeless Persons' Unit voids) Actual rent lost (Homeless Persons' Unit voids) Target rent loss - 3.75% 0.00% 1.00% 2.00% 3.00% 4.00% 5.00% 6.00% 08/04/2024 22/04/2024 06/05/2024 20/05/2024 03/06/2024 17/06/2024 01/07/2024 15/07/2024 29/07/2024 12/08/2024 26/08/2024 09/09/2024 23/09/2024 07/10/2024 21/10/2024 04/11/2024 18/11/2024 02/12/2024 16/12/2024 30/12/2024 13/01/2025 27/01/2025 10/02/2025 24/02/2025 10/03/2025 24/03/2025 Actual percentage of rent lost (Management voids) Actual percentage of rent lost (Homeless Persons' Unit voids) Actual percentage of rent lost (Operational, not including Homeless Persons' Unit voids) Target rent loss - 4.50% Percentage of rent lost (as reported to the Scottish Housing Regulator)
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4.1.2 The number of voids Excluding “Initiative” voids ie those identified for demolition or disposal, there were 518 on 26 March 2024 – we planned to reduce this number to no more than 306 by 31 March 2025 (this was based on what was required to get the void rent loss figure down to the level described above). The graph below shows progress against this target, with 383 voids at the end of September. We are on course to achieve our aim by the end of the financial year. Graph 3 – void numbers 4.1.3 Average re-let time Our average re-let time as reported to the Scottish Housing Regulator in each of the past four financial years and in the current year so far is shown in the table below. The figure for 2020–2021 was distorted by Covid-19 restrictions and there was significant and steady improvement in the three subsequent years, culminating in last year’s figure of 50.4 calendar days. Our target for the current year is 50.0 calendar days and results so far have consistently outperformed that target, levelling out in July and August at 38.7. Year Average re-let time (calendar days) 2020–2021 85.7 2021–2022 66.0 2022–2023 60.6 2023–2024 50.4 2024–2025 to end of April 2024 41.3 2024–2025 to end of May 2024 38.2 2024–2025 to end of June 2024 37.7 2024–2025 to end of July 2024 38.7 2024–2025 to end of August 2024 38.7 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 26/03/2024 09/04/2024 23/04/2024 07/05/2024 21/05/2024 04/06/2024 18/06/2024 02/07/2024 16/07/2024 30/07/2024 13/08/2024 27/08/2024 10/09/2024 24/09/2024 08/10/2024 22/10/2024 05/11/2024 19/11/2024 03/12/2024 17/12/2024 31/12/2024 14/01/2025 28/01/2025 11/02/2025 25/02/2025 11/03/2025 25/03/2025 Operational Management Total Target
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__________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – The financial implications of implementing the Single Voids Team are now incorporated into the Housing Revenue Accounts revenue budget projections. No new financial implications are introduced by these recommendations. 2. HR & Organisational Development – the position of Single Voids Team Manager has been filled on a temporary basis by an existing third-tier manager and his duties have been backfilled as described above by his direct reports’ taking on additional responsibility. Two other Interim positions have been created and filled (following the submission of expressions of interest and a competitive process) by existing members of staff – the posts of Interim Facilities Manager (Voids) and Interim Single Voids Team Officer. 3. Community/Council Planning – • Working together to improve outcomes – the Single Voids Team brings together and co-locates key personnel from Housing Services and Building Services so that they can work closely together to improve performance on void rent loss, void numbers and void turnaround time. 4. Legal – none. 5. Property/Assets – none. 6. Information Technology – none. 7. Equality & Human Rights – the Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – none. 9. Procurement – the extension of the appointments of temporary staff through an employment agency, the procurement of a Preferred Utility Provider, the extension of City Gate Construction (Scotland) Ltd’s contract to carry out works to bring houses to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard and the use of a Scotland Excel Framework for the supply of “Décor Packs” to new tenants have all been done in conjunction with Procurement colleagues. The appointment of a supplier of 360o virtual tours was for an amount not exceeding £25,000 and was carried out by the Single Voids Team following a competitive process. In all cases officers have ensured that the Council meets its statutory requirements, its Standing Orders Relating to Contracts 1
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January 2024, The Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016, The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulation 2015 and the Council’s Financial Regulations. 10. Risk – none. 11. Privacy Impact – none. 12. Climate Risk – not applicable. 13. Children’s Rights – not applicable. 14. Cosla Policy Position – not applicable. _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Background Paper 1 – Service Update Report to the Communities and Housing Policy Board of 16 January 2024. The foregoing background paper will be retained within the Housing Service for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer within the service is Ray Walkinshaw, Housing Regeneration and Development Manager, telephone 0141-487 2189 or 07483 146814 and e-mail ray.walkinshaw@renfrewshire.gov.uk. ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Ray Walkinshaw ray.walkinshaw@renfrewshire.gov.uk