Community Counts Milnbank Housing Association MILNBANK HOUSING ASSOCIATION 1
Contents Chairperson s Report Page 3 2015/16 At a Glance Page 4 Our News Page 6 Team MHA Page 7 Finance Page 8 Factoring Service Page 9 Scottish Social Housing Charter Report Page 10 Housing Services Page 15 Repairs, Maintenance & Improvements Page 16 Wider Role & Community Engagement Page 17 MHA Looking Forward Page 18 Your Views Matter Page 19 2
Dear Resident I m delighted to present the Chairperson s Report to Members. This is the second time I ve had the privilege of being the Chair of MHA and I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor John O Donnell for leading MHA so well over the past few years. I know from my previous experience how challenging this role can be, but John deserves great credit for his dedication to the task of turning MHA s objectives into a reality for the benefit of the local community. The last financial year was, again, another busy and eventful year for the Association. Members will be aware that last year represented a significant milestone as it was MHA s 40th Anniversary and, as we move forward, the indications are that community based housing providers like ourselves will have many and varied challenges to deal with in future years. However, no matter what these challenges may be, the Association will seek to confront them and ensure MHA remains a vibrant organisation that delivers good quality housing services for the benefit of local people. There are a number of key issues that MHA is likely to face in the short to medium term, all of which are further commented on in this report. These include: the abolition of Right to Buy, Scottish Housing Regulator Landlord Report, new Financial Reporting Standards, Property Reinvestment, Factoring Service, Regulation & Legislation, Development Activity and our Community Engagement Activities. I d like to finish my report by thanking the Management Committee and all our volunteers for their efforts in the past year. Despite the many challenges that MHA has to deal with on a routine basis, I m proud of the work people do on a voluntary basis for the benefit of their neighbours. This makes a real difference and, in my view, illustrates how important community anchor organisations such as MHA are to the lives of local people. Despite the many challenges that MHA has to deal with on a routine basis, I m proud of the work people do on a voluntary basis for the benefit of their neighbours Allan Scott I hope the readers like the theme of the Annual Report which acknowledges the Olympic & Paralympic games that were recently held in Rio. Allan Scott Chairperson 3
2015/16 At a Glance As usual, the last financial year has been a busy one for the Association. Throughout the year we strived to provide regular updates on our range of activities through newsletters and various events. Details on some of our activities during the year include the following: Gala Day Fun! Everyone involved in the planning & working on the gala day did very well, including the sponsors donations The hugely popular annual gala day & park festival provided fun for all the family. Tenant, Appin Road 98% Satisfaction with the Gala Day Happy Anniversary! MHA celebrated its 40th anniversary by hosting a range of community events. 4
Property Condition & Values A comprehensive survey was carried out on all MHA stock to ensure that our properties are in good condition & updates the total value. Sports Hub The re-launch of the Sports Hub & Culloden Street Community Hall increased our community facilities. More cost effective building insurance Good news for owners as MHA managed to negotiate a new deal for cheaper building insurance a saving of 16 per year. Debt Management MHA provided the debt management service in-house to assist tenants to maximise their benefit entitlement. 683 residents who are shareholders of Milnbank HA. MHA spent just under 1.8million on major repair works to tenants homes & common areas during the year. Awards during the year for Team MHA MHA is the first housing association in Scotland to achieve Investors in Young People Gold Accreditation. MHA won the Top Scottish Employer Working Family Award for the best childcare category. MHA achieved Healthy Working Lives at Silver Level. 2,767 properties managed by MHA. MHA currently has the lowest average rent charges in Scotland. 5 5
Our News During the inspection we noted that staff had developed very positive relationships with children and their families. We observed very calm, caring and nurturing interactions. Staff are aware of the importance of positive role modelling for children Care Inspector The level of support made available to me during my tenancy has been 110% and the encouragement that has come along with the support is more than I have ever experienced within the care sector Tenant, Circus Drive Project Volunteers Like any Olympic games, MHA would struggle to run the various clubs and other non-housing activities smoothly without our volunteers. A huge Thank You to all the local people who give up so much of their valuable free time to assist at the various events, outings etc and for, week after week, helping to run community clubs and the re-cycling centre we couldn t do it without you. Our legacy - Carbon Footprints Nursery The next generation Like the Olympic Games, the Association, strives to provide a legacy for future generations and one of the ways we aim to achieve this is through CFN. CFN continues to go from strength to strength. We have reached our maximum number of children and now have a waiting list. The After School Club continues to be a huge success and is enjoyed by those local school children who attend. Supported Accommodation The Association s support units at Walpole & Circus Drive also received a positive Care Inspection Report with 1 Very Good and 2 x Good Grading. Both units provide invaluable housing accommodation and support to homeless women within Glasgow. 6
Team MHA Management Committee The voluntary Management Committee Members continued to demonstrate their commitment to MHA by working really hard to ensure the on-going success of the Association. During the financial year committee members, in addition to attending weekly meetings, also represented MHA at a range of events and this amounts to around 100 hours of unpaid hours. The Management Committee for 2015/16 was as follows: Allan Scott Duke Street Chairperson John Taylor Harcourt Drive Vice Chair(resigned Sept. 2016) Cathy McGuire Harcourt Drive Secretary Rose Tinney Ballindalloch Drive Treasurer John O Donnell Roebank Street Josephine Donachy Aitken Street Ann Irving Roebank Street Louise Williams Armadale Place Margaret Baxter Roebank Street Dot Smythe-Sturrock Culloden Street (Resigned Sept. 2016) Bailie Elaine McDougall GCC Representative Nicholas Halls Ballindalloch Drive May Hutchison Duke Street Teresa McGinlay Craigpark Drive Alex Young Armadale Path Staff The Association currently employs 112 people, many of whom live within the Dennistoun and surrounding area. MHA is a Gold Investors in People and Living Wage Employer. The staff complement is: Directorate, Housing Services, Maintenance, Corporate Services, Property Management, Finance, Supported Accommodation, Wider Action and Carbon Footprints Nursery. MHA Improvements Photographed is an example of the Close Painting & Tiling at Cardross Street. To read more about any repairs, maintenance and improvements we have made this year, turn to page 16. 7
Finance Once again a fantastic response from MHA. I will re-iterate this at the next meeting when we are discussing VFM for services provided within our rent payments. I don t know of a HA who respond to tenants in this manner & the services are definitely good value The Association continues to operate from a strong financial foundation. As at the financial year end 31.3.15, finance reserves were 3.805m up from 3.535m the previous financial year. As explained by the Auditor at the AGM, new housing association accounting standards have been introduced which means that no direct comparison against previous years is possible. However, following a full revaluation of MHA stock our Statement of Financial Position (previously the Balance Sheet) shows 16.588m, but this is simply reflective of the changes to the style of reporting and does not impact on how MHA operates it s day to day business. Money coming into the Association 2015/16 Rent Received Void Loss (%age) Supporting People/ Supported Accommodation Carbon Footprint Nursery Other Income Wider Role How every was spent - 2015/16 Investment/Major Repairs to Stock 4,974,123 2.38% 4,974,123 2.38% 412,303 329,703 24p for every 1 Tenant, Armadale Path Reactive & Planned Maintenance Staff Salaries Administration (to run the Association) Loan Interest Re-payments Supported Accommodation Projects Wider Role (community activities) Carbon Footprints Nursery 21p for every 1 17p for every 1 15p for every 1 7p for every 1 7p for every 1 5p for every 1 4p for every 1 8
Factoring Service The Association s subsidiary company, Milnbank Property Services, currently provides factoring services to 1,083 owners. From this, 419 are properties where the Association does not have rented stock. Around 48% of owners are absentee landlords. The factoring service has again seen significant growth in the past year. The Glasgow City Council property acquisition programme, mentioned in the Housing Services section of this Report, is part of an initiative intended to demonstrate how an effective factoring service can prevent tenement properties falling into disrepair. Total Factoring Charge 2015/2016 453,819 I have dealt with many factors in Glasgow, and Milnbank is far and away the best service I have come across Owner, Walter Street Total outstanding arrears/balances2015/2016 12,008 The above figure was made up of actual arrears 3,854 and outstanding balances of 8,154 and represents 2% of the total accounts. It s a marathon not a sprint The photograph of Dunragit Street, shows the next stage of our common backcourt work programme which we plan to continue working on over the next few years. 9
Scottish Social Housing Charter Report 2015/16 This part of the Annual Report sets out how Milnbank Housing Association (MHA) is performing. The Scottish Housing Regulator introduced a Scottish Social Housing Charter which requires us to complete an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) each year and to notify our tenants of our performance against the Charter outcomes. We have benchmarked our performance with other similar housing providers and also compared MHA performance against the Scottish average. Overall Service 96.3% 89% Scottish Average MHA Overall Satisfaction 88.97% Other Housing Providers Outcome 1: Equalities MHA strives to ensure that it provides equal opportunities in the services provided to staff, residents, and other customers. We seek to ensure that no person is treated less favourably than any other person or group applying for housing, employment or work under contract. In terms of endeavouring to achieve equality, Milnbank HA: Works to an Equality Action Plan to ensure continuous commitment to equality in all our operations. Our Management Committee comprises of local people to allow for local decision making and accountability. Committee members operate to a Code of Governance and they must ensure that MHA governance framework assists the decision making process. A key objective of MHA is to ensure that we have a mixed and balanced community. We monitor ethnic origin for existing and new tenants. More than 35,000 was spent on home adaptations last year. MHA has Positive about Disabled People Accreditation, is a member of Happy to Translate and currently holds Investors in People and Investors in Young People at Gold Level. 10
Outcome 2: Communication Satisfaction level on MHA keeping tenants informed about services and decisions. Scottish Average MHA Overall Satisfaction Other Housing Providers Outcome 3: Participation Satisfaction level regarding MHA providing tenants with opportunities to participate in decision making processes. 93.9% 89.6% 90.6% 91.58% 83.64% 83.64% Scottish Average MHA Overall Satisfaction Other Housing Providers Outcome 4: Quality Of Housing New tenants satisfaction levels with the standard of their home when moving in: 97.17% 88.9% MHA Overall Satisfaction Other Housing Providers Outcome 5: Repairs & Maintenance Satisfaction levels from tenants on the last time they had a repair carried out by MHA. MHA 2016 MHA 2015 Scottish Average Overall Satisfaction with repairs service 92.4% 95.5% 89.9% Reactive repairs completed right first time 99.3% 95.9% 91.3% Average time to complete emergency repairs 2.8 hours 2.7 hours 5.1 hours Average time to complete non-emergency repairs 2.4 days 2.3 days 7.5 days Repairs appointments kept 99.9% 95.9% 94.4% Gas safety checks completed 99.7% 99.82% 99.86% Stock achieving the Scottish Housing Quality Standard 92.4% 92.66% 92.8% 11
Outcome 6: Management Of The Neighbourhood For every 100 MHA homes, 5 cases of anti-social behaviour were reported during the last financial year. Anti-social behaviour complaints resolved * 71.4% 86.6% 70.1% Scottish Average MHA 2016 MHA 2015 (* MHA set tight targets to resolve all types of complaints) Satisfaction with the neighbourhood they live in 95.68% 85.41% 93% Scottish Average MHA 2016 MHA 2015 Outcomes 7-10 & 12: Housing Options, Access To Housing & Homeless People MHA 2016 MHA 2015 Scottish Average Total of new tenancies sustained 91.43% 96.43% - Average time to re-let homes 51 days 31.3 days 35.4 days 12
Outcome 11: Tenancy Sustainment MHA 2016 MHA 2015 Other Providers Evictions 6 3 19.6 Abandoning Properties 16 13 19.4 Outcome 13: Value For Money(Vfm) Satisfaction on MHA rented property. When asked, taking account of your home and the service you receive, do you think your rent represents good value for money? The response was: MHA 2016 MHA 2015 Other Providers Scottish Average Rent represents VFM for tenants 96.52% 95.5% 80.44% - Owners who receive MHA factoring service 94.32% 92.31% 62.57% - Money collected against current & past rent 95.2% 95.2% - 99.5% Rent not collected because homes were empty* 1.3% 1.3% - 1% (* MHA acquired unimproved flats during the year which required extensive repair work to bring them to a lettable standard) Outcome 14/15: Rents Work continued on rent collection and reducing arrears levels throughout the last financial year. A total of 4,502,530 was collected; this represents 95.2% of the total due. In terms of rent arrears: MHA 2016 MHA 2015 Other Housing Providers % Gross rent arrears 6.99% 8.69% 4.84% % Current rent arrears 4.99% 6.62% 3.16% % Former rent arrears 2% 3.07% 1.68% 13
Hurdles Where Milnbank Housing Association Plans To Make Improvements Resolving anti-social complaints quicker Improve upon void turn around dates The main area where we plan to make improvements is dealing with rent arrears. We will continue to work towards rent management to reduce the level of both current and former arrears levels Areas Milnbank Housing Association Is Sprinting Ahead Of Other Landlords Using the Landlord Report information produced by The Scottish Housing Regulator, Milnbank Housing Association performs well against other landlords in the following areas: Level of Overall Service Quality of new home provided Tenancy Sustainment Factoring Service Lower average rent charges Providing Value for Money for rent Managing the Neighbourhood Keeping tenants informed about services & decisions Repairs: Satisfaction rates, average time to complete repairs, dealing with emergencies & keeping appointments Opportunity to participate in decisionmaking process 14
Housing Services House Size MHA Average Rent Scottish Average Difference 1 Apartment 43.65 65.94 MHA 33.8% less 2 Apartment 50.39 70.93 MHA 28.4% less 3 Apartment 57.73 71.55 MHA 19.3% less 4 Apartment 69.08 77.60 MHA 11% less 5 Apartment 73.77 85.98 MHA 14.2% less Rent Charges Rent Scrutiny Group MHA s rents remain amongst the lowest in Scotland and very much in line with Management Committee objectives for the community. The Association must always be mindful of keeping rents affordable, maintaining our high level of services and meeting our operational expenses. Rent Arrears As highlighted in the Charter Report, MHA has higher rent arrears than the Scottish Average, our arrears at the year end were 4.8%. There is legislation in place allowing MHA to evict tenants on certain grounds; MHA will do everything in its power to assist tenants to pay their rent to prevent eviction. Abolition Of Right To Buy The abolition of Right to Buy came into effect at the end of July this year. This truly represented the end of an era for rented housing in Scotland generally and for MHA in particular. MHA has disposed of 375 properties to sitting tenants which represents approximately 20% of our houses, so the impact has been very significant. However, the end of this policy means that future planning will be made easier because housing assets will no longer be sold. Following the annual rent consultation, a number of tenants have formed a Rent Scrutiny Group to examine the various strands of rent (e.g. charges, services, value for money, dealing with arrears). The Group continues to meet on a regular basis and their feedback will be taken into consideration when setting the next financial year s rent levels. Complaints The Association follows a procedure agreed between the Scottish Housing Regulator and the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman. Our aim is to deal with routine complaints within 5 working days. A total of 10 stage 1 complaints were received during the financial year and were resolved within an average time of 2.4 working days. Allocations 2015/16 A total of 155 allocations were made during the year, these were as following: 50 (32%) transfer (MHA existing tenants) 96 (62%) housing list 9 ( 6%) homeless referrals 15
Repairs, Maintenance & Improvements Improvement Works 2015/16 Window Replacements 611,373 Backcourt Improvements 574,787 New Kitchens 131,586 Electric Heating Systems 81,600 Gas Central Heating Systems 79,683 Day to Day Repairs The Association continues to provide a first class day-to-day repairs service. A total of 6,857 repairs were carried out during 2015/16. As demonstrated in the Charter Reporting of this report, MHA s repair service, including dealing with emergencies, consistently outperforms other Scottish housing providers. Improvements Structural Works Close Tiling Close Floor Cleaning/Repairs Common Painterwork 59,652 48,302 29,072 26,749 The programme to replace components such as windows and heating systems has continued this year. A major operational challenge for the Association is to maintain what is largely an ageing housing stock whilst keeping rents at an affordable level. Electrical Re-wires New Bathrooms Balcony Improvements Fences and Gates Stoneworks Close Door Upgrades Door Entry Systems 14,425 13,823 12,456 11,596 7,904 1,644 33,077 Total: 1,737,729 Milnbank are very prompt at carrying out repairs, the service is second to none The Landlord s Report shows that the time taken to re-let homes is relatively high and is the consequence of a large amount of void property during the year. MHA also acquired over 30 properties as part of an initiative funded by GCC to increase the supply of rented accommodation. Development Works Unfortunately, the Association has not undertaken any development work during the financial year. This is because of the risk associated with large scale developments and the lack of funding to facilitate such programmes. Residents will be aware of the blight on our community caused by derelict buildings and vacant land so finding a solution to the problems that empty buildings such as the former Haghill Primary School present remain a priority. Tenant, Todd Street 16
Wider Role & Community Engagement The housing related activity undertaken by the Association continues to grow. As well as maintaining the range of social, recreational and local economic initiatives that are already in place (e.g. Re-cycling Centre, Monday Club etc), a major focus this year has been to re-design housing support services at Culloden Street and identifying and assisting vulnerable residents as part of the objectives contained within the recent health and social care legislation. What a fantastic community facility, the staff really look after everyone, nothing is a bother to them Resident, Harcourt Drive Culloden Street Open Day A well attended Open Day was held for the recently refurbished community hall at Culloden Street where a wide range of activities are held daily all welcome. Sports Hub Another success was the re-launch of the Sports Hub. Located in Alexandra Park, the hub caters for all ages within the community from football, bowling to art classes. Income Maximisation At the end of last year, Sylvia Pollock, was employed in our newly created post of Income Maximisation Officer. This service, which was previously provided by an external agency, provides debt management assistance (e.g. housing benefit claims, council tax etc) and is available during office hours by appointment. During 2015/16, 451 tenants used this service which resulted in 207,396 worth of debts gains. The extent of Sylvia s expertise & knowledge of the benefits system is second to none Resident, Irongray Street To sum up the Alexandra Park Sports Hub in a few words, it s a hidden gem Resident, Irongray Street 17
MHA Looking Forward I m really happy with the landscape service as the backcourt area is clean, tidy and well kept Owner, Onslow Drive As part of the Business Planning for the organisation, the baton continues to get passed from one year to the next. For the financial year 2016/17, some of our main focus will be on the following: Implications of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 We will examine the elements of the above Act, with a specific focus on the areas which impact on MHA (e.g. new rules governing our housing lists, measures to deal with anti-social behaviour & general tenancy issues). Rents We will build upon the slight progress made last year in reducing rent arrears as this is important to maintain our level of services. Input from the Scrutiny Group will be taken on board when the Management Committee review the Association s Rent Strategy at the beginning of next year. Re-classification as Public Bodies It has recently been confirmed that Housing Associations are now re-classified as Public Bodies. This is more than a technical change to the status of community based housing providers as it effectively places them within the Public Sector. Such a move could threaten the ethos of locally based voluntary organisations 18
Your Views Matter and the Scottish Government has indicated it would look at introducing legislation aimed at getting such re-classifications reversed. Property Management Service The factoring service provided by Milnbank Property Services has had a steady growth since established a few years ago. We will continue to promote our factoring service to owners within the wider Dennistoun area. Benefit changes As with past years, the Association will closely monitor any changes that are introduced to the benefit system, this is particularly relevant where a tenant s income is reduced and has an impact on the ability to meet their monthly rent charges. Develop our Wider Role Activity Photograph: Cathedral Square Focus Group reviewing the Charter Indicators. MHA prides itself in listening to members of our community. Other than the obvious visits, telephone calls and house visits, we have a range of mechanisms in place to provide an opportunity for feedback, including focus groups, close meetings, area meetings, Registered Tenants Organisation and Forums. During 2015/16, surveys, covering a wide range of services, were conducted. This involved 1,084 residents and the overall satisfaction rate was 94%. We also consulted with 153 residents on the following: Reporting on the Charter Indicators, Annual Report, Stair Cleaning Service and Owners Satsfaction Survey. We will continue to support our current nonhousing activities (e.g. our community halls). This includes working with GCC on the planned Park Management Plan designed to improve facilities within Alexandra Park. 19
Milnbank Housing Association 53 Ballindalloch Drive Dennistoun Glasgow G31 3DQ Telephone: 0141 551 8131 Fax: 0141 550 2060 Email: admin@milnbank.org.uk Web: milnbank.org.uk Chairman: Allan Scott Director: Alan Benson A Registered Scottish Charity No. SC39891. Registered: Scottish Housing Regulator Registration No. HCB 161 SC. Registered: Friendly Societies 1818 RS Registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 and the relevant Charities Act. Editor: Linda Sichi MHA. Design and Print by: Cole AD 20