Article 4
SCHEDULE 4HOUSING INDICATORS
| Indicator Number | Description of indicator | Details of indicator |
|---|---|---|
| Note: For the purpose of the best value housing performance indicators, a dwelling is defined as a building, or part of a building which forms a separate, or reasonably separate and self contained, set of premises designed to be occupied by a single household. | ||
| NAWPI 4.1 | The proportion of private sector dwellings where direct action by the best value authority has resulted in: (a) unfit dwellings being made fit or demolished (b) return to occupation during a financial year where they have been vacant for more than 6 months at the beginning of the financial year | (a)The number of unfit private sector dwellings made fit or demolished per annum as a direct result of action by the best value authority expressed as a proportion of the total number of private sector dwellings judged by the authority to be unfit . A best value authority should include any dwelling removed from the number of unfit dwellings following direct action of the best value authority by:
The numerator should measure the annual number of properties that have been made fit or demolished following one of the above actions. The denominator should be available from a condition survey of the private sector and should measure the number of dwellings judged unfit at the time of the survey and should not be amended until the next condition survey is carried out (it should not therefore be adjusted for dwellings becoming unfit, for dwellings that subsequently come to the best value authority’s attention as unfit or for dwellings made fit). (b) The number of private sector dwellings that have been vacant for more than 6 months at the beginning of the financial year that are returned into occupation during the financial year as a direct result of action by the best value authority (the numerator), divided by the number of all private sector properties that have been vacant for more than 6 months at the beginning of the financial year (the denominator), multiplied by 100. A best value authority should include any dwelling which becomes occupied following direct action of the authority by:
The numerator measures the number of these dwellings which were then returned to occupation following one of the above actions during the financial year. The denominator is the number of dwellings that have been vacant for 6 months from the beginning of the financial year rather than any property that was empty for 6 months during the financial year. |
| NAWPI 4.2 | Energy Efficiency – the average SAP rating of best value authority owned dwellings | The average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating of the best value authority owned dwellings. The average annual change in average SAP rating of best value authority owned dwellings, where the SAP is an index of the annual cost of heating a dwelling to achieve a standard heating regime and is normally described as running from 1 (highly inefficient) to 100 (highly efficient). It is a measure of overall energy efficiency and is dependent on both the heat loss from the dwelling and the performance of the heating system. The performance indicators require an energy survey to be conducted to set the baseline position. Surveys should be carried out on at least a 5 yearly interval basis. In years when no energy survey is conducted best value authorities should update their survey information to take into account work done to the stock over the period. |
| NAWPI 4.4 | The average weekly costs of housing management per best value authority dwelling | This covers the financial cost to the best value authority for housing management – measured by the Housing Revenue Account (“HRA”) actual expenditure on management in the financial year divided by the average number of dwellings in the HRA at the start and end of the year, divided by 52. The information should match that in the relevant Housing Revenue Account Subsidy (HRAS) Annual Return form for general and special management costs (cells 3000 and 3010). |
| NAWPI 4.5 | Best value authority rent collection and arrears: (a) proportion of rent collected (b) rent arrears of current tenants as a proportion of the best value authority’s rent roll (c) rent written off as not collectable as a proportion of the best value authority’s rent roll. (d) The proportion of rent collected is calculated from the data on the gross HRA rent collected during the year (i.e. including that met through Housing Benefit) as a proportion of the total HRA rent available for collection in the year but with rent arrears from former tenants accrued before the financial year end excluded (i.e. the latest potential rent income after allowing for vacant dwellings and including arrears of current tenants outstanding at the beginning of the financial year). The rent collected is the total amount of rent collected during the year, less any payments of arrears for earlier years from former tenants. (e) Rent arrears of current tenants as a proportion of the best value authority’s rental income – Arrears as a proportion of rent roll is calculated from the total amount of tenants HRA rent outstanding at the end of the financial year and the total HRA rent roll. Rent roll is the total amount of potential rent collectable for the financial year for all dwellings owned by the best value authority, whether occupied or not. The total amount of rent arrears is the amount of arrears of both former and current tenants at the end of the financial year. | (c)Rent written off as not collectable as a proportion of the best value authority’s rental income – Write offs as a proportion of rent roll is calculated from the total amount of HRA rent written off during the financial year and the total HRA rent roll. Rent roll is the total amount of potential rent collectable for the financial year for all dwellings owned by the best value authority, whether occupied or not. The total amount of write-offs is the amount of current and former tenants rent arrears formally written off as unrecoverable during the financial year. |
| NAWPI 4.6 | Proportion of homelessness applications on which the best value authority makes a decision and issues written notification to the applicant within 33 working days | The number of homeless applications (under section 184 of the Housing Act 1996, (1996 c. 52)) upon which a decision was made and written notification was issued (under section 184) to the applicant within 33 working days, as a proportion of all homeless applications where a decision is made and written notification issued (under section 184). This applies to all homelessness applications, including those from asylum seekers, where a section 184 notice has been issued. For asylum seeker cases, best value authorities do not need to wait for a Home Office decision on the asylum claim before issuing a section 184 notice, if they are satisfied that a homelessness duty is owed. |
| NAWPI 4.7 | Average relet times for best value authority dwellings let in the previous financial year | This indicator is calculated from data on the total number of lettings made during the year (excluding those let after major repairs) and the total number of days these dwellings were vacant. The total number of lettings covers all lettings (excluding mutual exchanges) made during the financial year where there was no major repair work financed from the best value authority’s capital programme carried out in the period that the dwelling is vacated (major repair works are defined as those costing £2,000 or more). A dwelling that has become vacant and then undergoes capital work while empty, and the work is of a type that would normally be done with the tenant remaining in residence, should not be counted as property undergoing major repair. Days a dwelling is vacant means the number of calendar days between a property becoming void and being re-let. This includes the day the property became void up to and including the day before the new tenancy start date from which rent is payable. Major capital repairs financed through revenue count as major repairs for the purposes of this indicator. |
| NAWPI 4.8 | Effectiveness of the Social Housing System: (a)proportion of properties vacant (voids) (b)the average number of homeless households in temporary accommodation during the financial year bed and breakfast accommodation | a)The numerator is the average number of vacant homes throughout the financial year that are available for letting or awaiting/undergoing minor repairs (that is excluding properties awaiting demolition or awaiting/undergoing major repair work). The denominator is the average number if homes under management throughout the financial year, excluding properties awaiting demolition or awaiting/undergoing major repair work. Major repair (or improvement) works are defined as those costing £2,000 or more per dwelling . The average through the year is defined as the average of the results for the end of four quarters for the financial year. b) The number of homeless households in bed and breakfast accommodation is shown on form WHO 12 (Homelessness) (Revised 3/01): Section 6 Line h: “Total” column less “S.193 duty being discharged” column. The average through the year is the average of the results for the end of the four quarters for the financial year taken from the WHO 12. |
| NAWPI 4.9 | The number of best value authority dwellings needing major repair or improvement works at 1 April and the proportion of these dwellings receiving such works during the financial year a) £500 and £5,000 b) works costing over £5,000 | a)The best value authority’s assessment of the number of its owned dwellings requiring major repair or improvement works (costing between £500 and £5,000) at 1 April in the previous year and the number of dwellings that actually received such works during the previous financial year expressed as a percentage of those requiring such works at 1 April in the previous financial year. b)The best value authority’s assessment of the number of its owned dwellings requiring major repair or improvement works (costing over £5,000) at 1 previous financial year expressed as a percentage works costing between April in the previous year and the number of dwellings that actually received such works during the of those requiring such works at 1 April in the previous year. Properties identified for demolition or conversion should be excluded from this indicator. Major repair and improvement works, for the purposes of this indicator, would apply to repair and improvement works costing over £500 regardless of whether revenue or capital funded. Best value authorities are advised to carry out local stock condition surveys every 5 years, covering all tenures. Authorities should use these to estimate the work required at 1 April in the previous year. |
| NAWPI 4.10 | Percentage of repairs completed within target time a) Classed as emergency b) Classed as urgent | a)For emergency repairs completed during the previous financial year. A repair should be defined as an emergency repair where there is: a danger to tenants' health; or a risk to the safety of tenants; or a risk of serious damage to buildings; or a risk of loss or serious damage to tenants' property, including loss by theft. The target time for completion should be specified where it differs from 24 hours. The time taken to complete the repair is defined as the time elapsing between the time at which the repair is brought to the best value authority’s attention, and the time at which the works are satisfactorily completed. b)For urgent repairs completed during the previous financial year. A repair should be defined as an urgent repair where tenants, comfort or convenience is seriously affected; or the disrepair will cause the occupant to incur expense. The target time for completion should be specified where it differs from 7 calendar days, stating whether measured in calendar or working days. The time taken to complete the repair is defined as the time elapsing between the date at which the repair is brought to the best value authority’s attention, and the date at which the works are satisfactorily completed. For example, if a repair request was received on a Wednesday and works completed on Tuesday of the following week, the number of days elapsing would be (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday) 6 calendar, or 4 working days. For examples of emergency or urgent repairs see the Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair ) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/133). |
| NAWPI 4.11 | The average time taken to complete non-urgent responsive repairs | For non-urgent responsive repairs completed during the previous financial year, the average number of (calendar) days between the non-urgent responsive repair being requested and its satisfactory completion. A repair should be defined as non urgent repair where it does not fall into the emergency or urgent category, and where it has not been incorporated into a programme of planned maintenance. |
| NAWPI 4.12 | Whether or not the best value authority follow the Commission for Racial Equality’s code of practice in renting housing | Following the code means adherence to all the codes recommendations except those relating to employment practices, including procedures for dealing with racial harrassment and reporting the results of ethnic monitoring to a committee of the best value authority. |