Sustainable Communities help people sustain their tenancies.

byAidan McGuinness

Overview

1. Identify what an unsustainable community looks like.

2. Action taken to create a more stable community.

3. Measuring the change.

Background – Void Problem 2006 154 Voids as at April 2006 or 17.5% of

tenemental stock. 85 voids in Elderpark Street April 2006

(7 closed off tenements). Re-let times 124 days 2005/06. Monetary Costs = £0.33million per year. Abandonments treble peer group average

Change Needed In Elderpark

Environmental Social Economic

Graffiti and Vandalism Gangs being intimidating

Boarded up shops

Dumping /Litter /Dog fouling

Community centre Underutilised

Lack of life chances.

A lot of small flats /backlog of planned works

Large no. of voids flats & abandonments

Large % not in work or in training.

Gang culture – ASB behaviour

Few social events Large % in debt to Association

Understanding Of Why We Do Things To create a “balanced community” or the new the

term “sustainable mixed community” – “guarding the sustainability of their stock to prevent concentrations of deprivation” (The Scottish Government May 2010)

OR Where people are happy to live, pay rent (housing

management section) and have their monies reinvested in property (maintenance section) and services.

How To Achieve The Big Picture

Improve Effectiveness of Day to Day Activities

New Projects / Manage Change

Impact/Effort Matrix Elderpark Outcomes

IMPACT

EFFORT

Biggest

Impact

Hard to Achieve

* Appearance of Common Areas * Tackling ABS & Gang Culture

* Initiatives to re-letting void properties

* Tackling dog fouling

* Reduce No of small flats

* Activities in the community centre

* Welfare Rights V Debt

* Allocation Policy – Economic active

* Programmes to support employability

*Reuse of empty shops

Initiatives to Tackle High level of Voids & Incidents of ASB Deal with the ASB New Culture; “Up Close and Personal” Partnership Working New Estate Management Service New Allocation Policy Marketing Strategy – “Who do you Target” Letting Initiatives Reduced Rents for a limited period Environmental improvements Flexible incentives

Building Relationships – Community Events

Association led events. Facilitating social events in the Elderpark

Community Centre. Role of all staff to get involved.

Partnership working – Sustaining Tenancies

Help To People Setting Up Home. Employability services.

Advice surgery GSWRA Awarding contracts

Welfare Rights Service / Fuel Poverty Aberlour Tomorrow’s People – opportunities for

young people Willingness of staff to “ Make it happen.”

Key Stats

Voids 2009/10 re-let in 15 days – compared to 124 days 2005/06.

Current Tenant arrears 3.62% Sept 2010 - compared to 5.6 % in 2005/06.

Former tenant Arrears: In 2009/10 £30.5K less than previous year in 2008/09.

The number of evictions and abandonments

has reduced significantly from 2008/09.

Changes In Tenant Satisfaction levels Q1 What do you consider to be serious

problems in the area?

Results 2005 Results 2009

Loitering 48% 26%

Discarded rubbish 53% 24%

Drug dealing 47% 15%

Dogs/Cats 57% 14%

Street drinking N/A 8%

Graffiti 43% 7%

Vandalism 45% 6%

Source for 2009 results MIS survey based on 500 surveys

Changes in ASB ComplaintsSerious complaints 2008-2009 2009-2010 1st &2nd 2010/11

Aggressive / Abusive Behaviour 10 12 2

Substance Abuse 2 2 1

Frequent Disturbance 23 14 3

Inappropriate Behaviour 27 9 2

Persistent Noise 16 11 3

Vandalism 0 4 0

Persistent Environmental Issue 4 1 0

Total 82 53 11

Very Serious Complaints 2008/2009 2009-2010 1st &2nd 10/11

Serious Damage to Property 5 2 0

Drugs 9 5 1

Harassment 1 2 0

Racial Harassment / Abuse 3 2 0

Assaults and Threatening Behaviour 5 4 3

Total 23 15 4

Changes in Nuisance complaints

2008/20009

2009/2010

2010/11 Q1& Q2

Pets 18 34 4

Noise 30 47 20

Nuisance complaints / life clash 32 43 9

Litter / fly tipping 55 33 3

Graffiti / Unkempt Gardens N/A N/A 3

Total 135 157 39

Success Factors

Partnerships working Culture change within Elderpark –

“Why we need to achieve a stable community plus how?”.

Improved tenants’ perception of our service – “more willing to play their part”.