Improving Housing Management Services: Addressing Anti-Social Behaviour and Empty Flats

This report discusses the issues of anti-social behaviour and empty flats in Goldacre Housing Association and provides evidence-based recommendations to improve housing management services. The report suggests setting up a Community Justice Centre, implementing Community Warden Schemes, Empty Dwelling Management Order, and Compulsory Purchase Order.

Housing Report
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Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Two issues in housing management services........................................................................................3
Improving anti-social behaviour............................................................................................................4
Improving empty and boarded flats......................................................................................................5
SMART Plan...........................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................7
References.............................................................................................................................................8
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From: The Policy Officer, (Mr.BM)
To: The Board of Goldacre Housing Association
date
Introduction and summary
Housing associations have remained commited to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Housing associations use several mechanisms such as prevention of ASB, supporting victims
of ASB, and enforcing good behaviours amiong the tenants. Just like any other housing
associastions, Goldacre Housing Association have realised that ASB hinders its ability to
attract new tenants hence a negative impact on its revenue genaralisation. Within the purview
of housing management services fall rent collection and maximisation, dealing with repairs
and maintenance, dealing with anti-social behaviour and providing assistance in every arena
of real estate (Lam, 2008, p. 226). Anti Social behaviours also affect Goldacre Housing
Association’s dedication to provide safe and secure housing services such as buying, selling,
renovating and mordernising houses. Recently, the housing association has been experiencing
issues related to the ineffective measure of addressing anti-social behaviour which has
dissatisfied the residents and the empty and boarded flats that have declined the attractiveness
of the sector. The aim of this paper is to address these elements of the housing management
services by providing evidence-based recommendation and constructing SMART plan for the
same. The summary should also very briefly outline the key actions you intend to take
Two issues in housing management services
Heading anti-social behaviour
The Goldacre Housing have over the years put in place several intiative to handle anti social
behaviours. With the introduction of new sanctions and powers, the associyion has a
responsibility to protect its clients from ASB. The association provide a wide range of
community saftety, regenerations initiatives and housing management as aa way of protecting
its tenants. However, this the arising compaints from tenants about ASB in the locality,
associstion ought to come up with effective approach to ASB to address the issues suggested
below.
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One of the first issues facing the housing association that the residents are dissatisfied with
the ways the anti-social behaviour in the area is addressed. This implies that the ways in
which the anti-social behaviours are addressed are ineffective. By anti-social behaviour, it
implies the activities that cause harm and dissatisfaction for the common people that include
from dropping litter to serious forms of harassment. However, anti-social behaviour also
includes excessive noise, selling and using drugs, verbal abuse, harassment (racist or
homophobic incidents), and intimidation, dropping litter, vandalism and nuisance from
vehicles (Donoghue, 2010, p. 114). These behaviours have serious incidences of fear and
stress among the residents due to their safety status and adversely affecting their quality of
life.
Second, Setting up a compliant sell for te residents to report ASB cases has not been enouight
for Goldacre housing association to effectively address the had addressed the anti-social
behaviour. However, this measure has been ineffective considering the prevelant of the anti-
social behaviours in the neighbourhood. This suffices to the explanation of the
unattractiveness of the houses owned by the association to the potential customers.
Improving anti-social behaviour
One of the first actions that could be undertaken by the Goldacre housing association is a set
up of a Community Justice Centres that aims to deliver less impersonal and more responsive
court services to not only punish the offenders but also collaborate and work with other
services to prevent the anti-social behaviour inflicting criminal activities. The Community
Justice Centres (CJC) helps to settle disputes and misunderstnging between neighbours,
family members and workmates. The role of the centres would also be to repair the damage
that has been caused by the criminals (Donoghue, 2010, p. 121). For example, the
deployment of the North Liverpool Community Justice centre (NLCJC) in North Liverpool
helped the landlords and the housing associations work to address the issue of anti-social
behaviour (Robins, 2012). The establishment of the CJC in collaboration with the
magistrates’ court and Crown courts will help in dealing with low-level of crimes and anti-
social behaviour such as vandalism, petty theft, graffiti and drink and disorderly behaviour
(Morton, 2004).
The second action to be undertaken by the landlord and Goldacre housing association to
address the issue of anti-social behaviour is setting up Community Warden Schemes which
can comprise of some trained wardens who are accredited with national Community Safety
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Scheme to report anti-social behaviour and also be responsible for taking appropriate action
to resolve the issue (Brown, 2012). For example, in Hastings, a council had been developed
which helps the landlords in the area to engage in a warden scheme. The warden group is to
appoint comprising of five community wardens, four park rangers, 11 street wardens and
three dog wardens to offer roving services to the area. The purpose of this scheme is to build
community cohesion and detect and reduce anti-social behaviour (Pevensey Bay Life, 2017).
Besides maintained normace in the residential areas, the trained wardens will keep contant
patrols in the resident to ensure that vandalists have no access to the empty houses.
Morevover, the warden will mount CCTV system in the area which is an effective way of
enhancing safety of the tenants. Residents have reported cases where vandalized have broke
int their cars while in the parking lot. Therefore, the park rangers will keep patrol in the
parking lot. Lastly, cases of drug abuse have been reported. Prior investigations have shown
that drug peddlers use abandoned and empty houses to sell and use drugs. The dog wardens
will use sniffer dogs to identify areas where drug abuse is prevalent (Donoghue, 2010, p.
131).
Improving empty and boarded flats
The empty and boarded flats that have remained empty for long are susceptible to anti-social
activities and risk of mishaps. However, the housing association has not put sufficient
mechanisms in place to address the ASB issues that arise from the empty house. Therefore,
Goldacre housing association along with the landlords in the area could take actions to
address the challenge of empty and boarded flats to increase the attractiveness of the real
estate sector.
The first action that could be undertaken is the Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO)
which can be applied under circumstances when a property owner leaves the property with no
immediate intention to secure voluntary reoccupation. The EDMO was intrdiuced by the
Labour government in the UK and it allow the local council to take control of disused
properties. EDMO allow the council to take charge by maintain both the propoert and the
safety on the people living nearby. During the ownership period, the local council will work
with the housing association on ways of making the houses habitable hence bring them back
into house (Derby City Council, 2015). In collaboration with the local council, the housing
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association will then embark on developing strategies to cuerb the ASB that made the house
previously non-habitated (Wilson, 2016). For example, the Derby council had been working
with the housing associations to deal with the issue of empty homes by setting up plan to
make the house habitable again. The housing associations Empty also link with the Housing
Options Centre and has deployed the Derby Homefinder scheme to address the problem of
empty housing (Derby City Council , 2015). Just as in the Derby County, EDMO can bring
success to the Goldcare housing association.
The second action that could be taken by the landlords and Goldacre housing association is to
report the prevalence of the empty homes in the vicinity. It is then the duty of the housing
association to encourage the neighbouring home dwellers to mass report the empty homes in
the area. This would create a local pressure on the housing department and then they could
set up a pressure group and collaborate with Compulsory Purchase Orders to fast-track the
procedure to reoccupy the empty homes (Norwood, 2011). For example, In case of the
London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the local authorities are informed by the
residents and local landlords to address the issue of empty houses. The local authorities raised
the Council Tax on empty homes and facilitated the compulsory purchase properties to deal
with the issue.
SMART Plan
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Action Target Date Responsible
Setting up
Community Justice
Centre
Aimed at addressing
the ASB and other
misunderstanding
between tenants.
Teaching the tenants
on issues that
constitute ASB and
how best to address
them.
June 2018 The housing association
management in collaboration
with magistrates’ and Crown
courts
Implementing
Community Warden
schemes
Establish a warden
station at the
entrance of the
housing project.
July 2018 Head of Security
Collaborating with
Empty Dwelling
Management Order
(EDMO)
Reduce the incidents
that would occur as
a result of empty
flats.
Ensure that the
houses have been
maintained
July-
August
2018
The management
Increasing Council
Tax on empty
houses and
implementing
Compulsory
Purchase Orders
Ensure the housing
associations have
put flexible
mechanisms in place
to handle ASB
Septermber
2018
Law Council
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that the housing sector is vulnerable to different types of social,
economic and political challenges. However, it is the role of the housing management
services to deal with these issues and provide better housing solution. Goldacre housing
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association aims to provide housing solutions however with residents’ dissatisfaction with the
way the anti-social behaviour is addressed and the existence of empty and boarded houses
have complicated the working of the housing sector. Hence, four actions have been
recommended to address the issues such as setting community justice centre, implementing
community warden schemes, empty dwelling management order and compulsory purchase
order.
References List
Brown, D. M., 2012. Out on patrol: Maintaining the strengths and addressing the weaknesses of
Scotland's Community Warden Scheme. Crime Prevention and Community Safety, 14(4), pp. 258-277.
Derby City Council , 2015. Private Sector Empty Homes Strategy 2015 - 2020, s.l.: Derby City Council .
Donoghue, J., 2010. Anti-Social Behaviour, Community Expectations and the Judicial Role in England
and Wales. SSRN Electronic Journal.
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Lam, T. Y., 2008. Optimisation of performance management for housing services. Journal of Facilities
Management, 6(3), pp. 226-240.
Morton, J., 2004. New Community Justice Centre in England. [Online]
Available at: http://www.justiciarestaurativa.org/mount/www.restorativejustice.org/editions/
2004/December/liverpool
[Accessed 22 May 2018].
Norwood, G., 2011. Compulsory purchase order threat to tackle problem of empty homes. [Online]
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/oct/08/compulsory-purchase-cornwall-
empty-homes
[Accessed 22 May 2018].
Pevensey Bay Life, 2017. Expanded community warden scheme aims to tackle business crime.
[Online]
Available at: http://www.pevenseybaylife.co.uk/expanded-community-warden-scheme-aims-to-
tackle-business-crime/
[Accessed 22 May 2018].
Robins, J., 2012. Community justice centres are bold and radical. But do they work? , London, UK: The
Guardian.
Wilson, W., 2016. Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs), s.l.: House of Commons Library.
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