How we’re performing so far
We have progressed on our Fairer Housing commitments by continuing to prioritise affordable housing, enhance tenant satisfaction, and improve housing conditions and services. A notable milestone this quarter has been the tender completion for Phase 2 of the Ebury redevelopment, which prioritised responsible procurement. Residents played a key role in shaping social value priorities, resulting in commitments such as local supplier engagement, apprenticeships and partnerships with community groups, delivering benefits exceeding £100,000.
We also expanded access to housing services with the opening of a fourth housing service centre in Soho, enhancing support for local residents. A new Repairs Policy and Charter, developed through extensive resident consultation, has been launched to improve repair prioritisation and accessibility. Complementary initiatives such as the Housing Vulnerability and Reasonable Adjustments Policy ensure tailored support for residents with specific needs.
The Getting to Know You campaign, commended by the Housing Ombudsman, has reviewed more than 3,600 households, identifying vulnerabilities and making referrals for issues such as income, damp and repairs. The campaign has achieved high satisfaction rates and is a finalist in the UK Housing Awards.
We also remain on track with our temporary accommodation acquisitions plan, exploring bulk purchases to address housing needs efficiently, further reducing homelessness and providing secure housing solutions for residents.
Below we have highlighted other ways we are progressing on our Delivery Plan from July to September this year*. Although progress continues to be made, we know there is still work to do as we deliver our Fairer Westminster strategy.
(* based on the latest positions available at the end of September 2024.)
Living standards
Our aim is to improve the quality of our homes and ensure they are well managed...
We’ve served 86 enforcement notices against non-compliant landlords. Whether you are tenant of a private landlord or housing association you have right to live in a safe and well managed home. Complaint levels remain low across the service, and we have expanded our private sector housing team, providing a tenure neutral approach to dealing with housing issues.
Sustainable homes
Our aim is to improve our housing’s energy efficiency, reduce emissions and lower energy bills...
From the start of April 2024, we have retrofitted more than 112 homes to at a least Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rate C and are completing roof insulation and PV improvements to further properties that are already an EPC C. We have engaged with our residents on this initiative, including meeting with Resident Associations and distributing booklets explaining the benefits. We have also appointed a resident advocate who has started a review of the refusal reasons to date and prepare a further campaign for these homes. We are currently lobbying government agency for better grant funding opportunities as part of the London Councils group.
Homelessness prevention
Our aim is reduce homelessness in the city by providing support to those in need...
We are developing a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, including robust community engagement and co-production with partners and service users. Public consultation has now begun and is being publicised, including in our local Housing Offices.
We are committed to being open and transparent and making information on our progress more accessible to everyone. This way you can always see how we're doing on delivering a Fairer Westminster. The above are just a few of the ways we're measuring how we're building Fairer Housing. You can also find out more at our Open Data page and by reading our Fairer Westminster Delivery Plan:
