SS6058 - Goldacre Housing Association: Issues, Solutions & Analysis

This report addresses the issues faced by tenants at Goldacre Housing Association, focusing on anti-social behavior, unattractive estates due to empty flats and poor repairs, and difficulties in rent payment. It highlights the lack of tenant representation and community involvement in addressing these problems. The report proposes solutions such as forming new committees with tenant participation, implementing anti-social behavior management programs, involving landlords and stakeholders in property maintenance, and providing flexible rent payment options. The SMART plan for service improvement includes commissioning an AGM, ensuring profit through landlord involvement, and community programs to foster tenant responsibility. Goldacre's commitment to providing quality housing services and addressing tenant grievances is emphasized, with recommendations for improvement in communication, maintenance, and financial support.

HOUSING ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS
REPORT
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To: The Management Board of Goldacre Housing Association
From: Policy Officer
The Goldacre Housing Association is one of the most reputable Companies that are renowned for
providing exceptional services to its clients. The primary aim of this report is to explore some of
the issues tenants at Goldacre Housing Association face and their prospective solutions.
About Goldacre Housing
Goldacre Housing aims to provide the most suitable and sustainable homes at the most
affordable price. Their motto is to provide all-around services to the residents even after the
property purchased or leased. A team of professionals has ensured that every aspect of
comfortable living is provided to the residents and at the same time all their grievances are
answered under one roof. The Company has a wide range of apartments and villas that cater to
the client needs. Goldacre has also created partnership programs in different countries to answer
to the security problems. The residents are free to call and contact the management at any time
through their social media pages and official websites. Any kind of complaint lodged is
answered under one umbrella. Site engineers are informed for personal repairs and re-
modifications; whereas, general meetings with the residents are held to find a solution for larger
and long-term issues that affect the community.
Goldacre Housing claims to be a "One-Stop-Shop Service" for its clients (Goldacreestates.com,
2018). Maintenance is done in an orderly manner in order to ensure that the houses are in pristine
condition. Clients could also opt for a short-term stay and hence it is essential that the Company
organizes regular checkups and repair every crack, lock, hinge or broken glass. It is also
important to maintain the security system. This is done by inspecting the alarms, security
cameras. Goldacre has a strict research and development team that delves into the past and
present issues of the residents to find the cause and concern. The agency continues to develop
new methods of environmental conservation so as to create a sustainable and clean habitat. The
sanitary facilities and the drainage system is cleaned and repaired at timely intervals to ensure a
smooth running of the business. The team also provides assistance to the clients regarding
aesthetic structures and beautifying their homes. Goldacre aids its clients completely through the
buying and selling process as it endeavors to provide a healthy society of confident individuals.
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Recently Goldacre has come across some complaints and issues that has aggravated the residents
and has disrupted the harmony. These issues are further discussed below:
1. Residents are dissatisfied with the way the anti-social behaviors are being addressed
A good and well-behaved neighborhood is essential to ensure that the Company retains a
good name and can boast of a high standard. Any kind of anti-social behavior like noise
pollution, domestic violence and vandalizing disrupts the natural order and is completely
unacceptable. The residents have complained of unsupportive management and have
questioned the security measures. As the board lacks any representation from the tenants,
it has assumed that their concerns are not being heard. Also, there is lack of community
involvement in the maintenance of peace and decorum in the community.
It is the duty of the Housing Officer and the committee to undertake any kind of
inspection and developmental measures to refurbish the facilities. Any threatening act
and situation should be directly reported to the Housing Officer r the Property Manager.
A thorough investigation should be done immediately while the Agency takes necessary
steps to prevent further aggravation (Limited, 2018).
The Company should arrange for programs that will enable the residents to work together
in minimalistic repairs and maintenance. It will not only save cost but will also ensure
harmony and personal satisfaction among the tenants. This way the residents could
directly interact with themselves and with the officials leading to a better understanding
and ownership (Pinto, 1995).
For example, Notting Hill Housing has a strict code for Anti-Social behavior
management. They conduct individual interviews as well as public meetings with those
involved. Initially, they try to solve the problems by mediating personally among the
parties. Next, the Company goes through different approaches accordingly like issuing
formal or informal warnings, drawing out contracts, involving the government and social
agencies. Notting Hill Housing also arranges for community projects involving the youth
and the elderly (Notting Hill Housing, 2018).
Hence, Goldacre Housing should enable more participation from the tenants, stakeholder,
and contractors. The newly formed committee would undertake examinations and will be
successful in taking unified decisions when it comes to handling complications. As it is a
complex process, every situation would be handled in a step by step manner. Thus, the
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complete participation of each member will lead to a careful monitoring and supervision
and all issues will be answered in an organized way.
2. Empty and boarded flats are making the estate unattractive and the repairs are
poor
It has come to my attention that the Committee that is supposed to receive and indulge in
community repair and maintenance has not been active completely. The committee has
lost its executive powers and also has failed to maintain the budget that is required for
such undertakings. Goldacre presently has an interim Committee and is in dire need of a
fully functional one that will supervise the regular repair and maintenance. Since the
present committee is running on the supplementary finances, it is important to form a
new committee in the next AGM. Other criteria should be ensuring that the rent is
collected inadequate time, as well as, any kind of repair expenses, is duly noted. To
breach the gap in communication between the tenants and the committee, the landlords
should also be involved. It should be the responsibility of the landlords to look into the
needs and problems of the tenants before they report it to the committee. Any empty flat
must be taken under the repair and maintenance wing. The repairs done by the landlords
will be eventually refunded accordingly.
A bright example of such conduct is seen in the Eastward Housing Estate. The Company
has properties lined across the highways leading to a great demand. Eastward Housing
has commissioned a Housing Association that includes the tenants for the repairs and
maintenance. There are general guidelines and code of conduct that prevents vandalizing
and empowers the tenants from taking care of the property. The tenants are encouraged to
directly report any vandalism or other issues, to the committee so that repairs could be
done immediately. This process not only ensures responsible residents but also makes
sure that the stakeholders are well invested in their property (Kyle, Baird and Spodek,
2000). Hence, the budget is well maintained and at the same time, the Company is able to
maintain its standard.
3. Help is not provided to tenants who are finding it hard to pay their rent
Goldacre Housing Association has a Tenancy Agreement that does not provide any
service that helps the tenants with rent adjustment or moderation. It is very crucial to
keep our tenants satisfied and hence it is necessary to include some flexibility in the rent
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payment structure. Although legal, it's quite unethical for to terminate the contract with a
long-term tenant for non-payment of rent within the stipulated time. The Company
should provide equal opportunities for installments and other co-operative programs
through which the tenants could pay their rent in a well-fashioned way. This would not
only ensure a steady profit but will also stimulate the tenants in making long-term plan an
eventually leading to buying of property (Chanter and Swallow, 2008).
SMART Plan for Service improvement
1. Commissioning for AGM
Goldacre Housing should immediately hold the AGM within a few weeks to form new
committees with experienced individuals. Equal participation from every member is
essential so as to discover the problems and discuss them individually. Every repair and
maintenance done should be noted in a logbook along with the expenses. If a tenant or
outsider is found guilty of vandalizing, they must be handled immediately and with care.
An Anti-social Behaviour Maintenance team should be formulated that will undertake all
the supervision and management. Qualified engineers, plumbers, technicians, architects,
and environmentalists should be appointed to the team for all-round services (Nieboer,
2012).
2. Ensuring Profit by involving Landlords and Stakeholders
A thorough inspection of the building and amenities should be done before a property is
sold or leased. An updated annual inspection certificate must be procured. This includes a
cellar to roof inspection along with the inspection for window guards, gas pipelines,
electrical lines and the drainage system. Any kind of code violated must be up for further
investigation. The health and safety measures should also be undergone. These actions
will ensure that the Landlords and stakeholders take a serious interest in their property
and invest in them. This venture will not only uphold the property name but will also
enable profit for the Company and the stakeholders.
3. Community programs involving Tenants
Although the tenants are not legally bound in repairing the buildings, as residents they
must be made responsible for the beautification and maintenance of the property (Bright,
2006).
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It must be made mandatory for them to regularly report any damages and code violation.
As a shareholder of the association, the tenants are subject to some minimal
responsibilities. For any major repair, however, the tenants could call for professional
guidance. Community programs, like Painting and Fencing for the Youth, could ensure
smooth communication and create a healthy neighborhood.
Conclusion
Upon conclusion, therefore, this report upholds Goldacre's response to issues that concern
clients' accessibility to quality housing services at Goldacre Housing Association. It is
guided by its motto of providing all-round services to clients/residents all times. To
achieve this, Goldacre has collaborated with other bodies in different countries to tackle
issues on security. Official communication avenues have been provided in that regard.
Goldacre additionally looks into issues of hygiene and has developed intervention plans
to achieve this which include repairing drainage systems and promoting sanitary
facilities. The facility has instituted a committee that works on promoting the
attractiveness and beautification of homes.
In regard to ensuring that appropriate solutions have been achieved, clients have been
given chances to express their grievances all of which have been notified as; improper
addressing of anti-social behaviors, poor repairs, and concerns of estate attractiveness and
less intervention is done to people who find it hard to pay their rent regularly. Noise
pollution, domestic violence and vandalizing have been highlighted as the major concerns
when it comes to anti-social behaviors. To tackle this, it has been clarified that the
Housing Officer and the committee are accountable and are to take up inspection and
developmental measures of social welfare. The company ought to establish plans that
ensure that all residents work in unity in sustaining buildings and ensuring least expenses
of repair. Goldacre housing has arrived at forming a new committee with all participants
qualified for the job to ensure quality services. On building repairs and estate
attractiveness, Goldacre has set out to develop another new committee within a short time
which will be responsible for ensuring flexible and friendlier terms of rent payment to
existing tenants.
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Goldacre Housing has highlighted intervention plans for service improvement as;
urgently holding an AGM in few weeks' time to kick-start the delivery of solutions to the
issues identified, conducting annual inspections for the various facilities and involving
the tenants in beautification programs.
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REFERENCES
Bright, S. (2006). Landlord and tenant law. Oxford: Hart.
Chanter, B. and Swallow, P. (2008). Building Maintenance Management. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Goldacreestates.com. (2018). Learn about the leading real estate company in Fuerteventura, Canary
Islands, Spain and Greece. [online] Available at: https://goldacreestates.com/aboutus/ [Accessed 12 May
2018].
Kyle, R., Baird, F., and Spodek, M. (2000). Property management. Chicago, Ill: Dearborn Real Estate
Education.
Limited, F. (2018). Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) | Swan Housing. [online] Swan.org.uk. Available at:
http://www.swan.org.uk/home/our-services/anti-social-behaviour.aspx [Accessed 12 May 2018].
Nieboer, N. (2012). Energy efficiency in housing management. Abingdon, Oxon: Earthscan.
Notting Hill Housing. (2018). Anti-social behavior. [online] Available at:
https://www.nhhg.org.uk/residents/feeling-safe-in-your-community/anti-social-behaviour/ [Accessed 12
May 2018].
Pinto, R. (1995). Developments in housing management and ownership. Manchester: Manchester
University Press.
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