Councillor Andy Forrest, East Lothian Council Spokesperson for Housing and Property Maintenance, stated that the report provides an annual overview of the Housing Service's performance, benchmarking against previous years and national averages. "It’s an important piece of work as it clearly shows how we are performing and how we spend tenants’ rent money," he said.
Councillor Forrest encouraged tenants to read the report, noting it contains useful facts about repairs, improvements, housing allocations, homelessness, and other vital services. He added, "It shows what we are doing well but, importantly, also indicates where we need to be doing better, giving us a focus on what to work on for the next year and beyond to keep delivering the best services we can."
Highlights from the report for Councillor Forrest, in a challenging year of rising costs and increased pressure on the housing service, include the delivery of over 22,500 repairs, a continuing programme of modernisation for kitchens, bathrooms, doors, and windows, and the delivery of 71 new build properties. The service also ensured tenant safety by completing 100% of statutory safety checks.
He also thanked the East Lothian Tenants and Residents Panel (ELTRP) for their continued collaboration on the report and other joint working initiatives throughout the year.
Some highlights from this year’s report: - 3,576 emergency repairs and 19,274 non-emergency repairs completed with a faster turnaround time than the previous year and a score of more than 88% tenant satisfaction - 149 new kitchens installed - 871 new doors and windows installed - 66 estate inspections competed in conjunction with our tenants - A score of almost 84% tenant satisfaction with our overall Housing Service
New policies and strategies aimed at reducing the number of empty properties and decreasing re-let turnaround times are showing improvements. The council will continue this positive work. Homelessness remains a challenge, with the team continuing efforts to reduce the time people spend in temporary accommodation.
The full report is available on the council's website, and paper copies can be requested via email or by phoning 0800 413 721.
