Thank you Madam Chair
The previous Labour administration left a housing service in very poor shape and this is strongly reflected in the Budget papers.
They left behind hundreds of residents in appalling living conditions deeming it somehow acceptable to completely ignore them
Had no sense of urgency in dealing with the massive issues arising from the Regina Road crisis
And there was no control of the repairs service and contracts
They didn’t open tenancy accounts for tenants meaning that both they and the council were deprived of housing benefit monies they were entitled to.
Siphoned off millions of pounds of residents money from the HRA for at least 4 years into General Fund expenditure to help balance the books
Failed to keep accurate data
Failed to invest in our residents’ homes
Failed to manage applications to the Housing Register leaving thousands of residents just endlessly waiting for news
Left Council homes empty for years and failed to carry out occupancy checks or keep accurate records of who was living where
They left a Housing Improvement Plan which was not fit for purpose
Had no up to date housing strategy, stock condition surveys or Housing Business Plan
Left residents in Temporary and Emergency Accommodation for far too long leaving significant legacy issues
And – as evidenced in this Budget – masked the true costs of both Emergency and Temporary Accommodation
My thanks go to the Housing staff who are working so hard to turn this dreadful situation around. The Housing General Fund Budget has now been realigned and you will see that some growth has also been added to cover the correction of the previously incorrect charging by the previous Labour administration of the homelessness team to the HRA.
We have embarked at pace on a Transformation Programme which will introduce an up to date IT system, and have commenced stock condition surveys, occupancy checks, approved the Residents’ Charter, relaunched Estate walkabouts, reduced the void turnaround time and are reviewing the letting standards;
We’re developing a targeted approach to damp and mould; are about to appoint new repairs contractors with strong contract management; are making huge progress with our work at Regina Road and keeping residents at the heart of our work.
Work has started on a new Housing Strategy, a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, strengthening our work on compliance issues and updating our stock condition work to inform future investment in our homes through the HRA Business Plan.
Not only will this Budget support our housing transformation work but, together with the Mayor’s Business Plan - with its strong drive for inward investment and doing and spending less in the future – it will lay strong foundations for a Croydon we will one day be proud of again.
I support and commend this Budget.
