Housing Improvement Plan Makes Big Strides

Falkirk Council has substantially reduced the cost of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless people since 2008.

By adding an extra 105 homes from the housing stock to the list of temporary accommodation for homeless people, the weekly cost of B&B accommodation has dropped by almost two-thirds from nearly £60,000 to around £20,500, yesterday's meeting of the Housing and Social Care Committee heard. Weekly visits to B&B establishments used by the Council are being introduced to ensure the accommodation meets the Council's quality standards.

It was one of a series of achievements in the second year of the housing Improvement Programme. The programme, covering a range of issues, was drawn up following the 2007 inspection of the Falkirk's housing service by the national Scottish Housing Regulator (formerly Communities Scotland).

As well as reducing the number of homeless people being accommodated in B&B, the introduction of the Council's new choice-based Allocations Policy at the beginning of this year ensures that 50% of all lets are available to homeless households, in terms of the legislation.


A housing stock survey is also to be carried out, covering all Council houses, which will provide detailed information on repairs and maintenance issues and enable the Council to create a capital programme to meet the Scottish Quality Housing Standard by 2015.

Annual gas safety checks are now programmed to be carried out within 12 months of the previous check and the Council has achieved 100% performance level in this area.

Tenants are also informed of their Right to Repair which means they can appoint another contractor if the Council fails to carry out the work within a set timescale.

Other achievements include:

• progress on reaching and beating targets on issues like responding the complaints and inquiries within a set timescale
• using information from service-users, to improve services
• introducing quality assurance processes to ensure consistency in assessments and decision-making in housing allocations
• improving information on housing and homelessness to the public
• setting up a duty officer system at the Accommodation Resource Centre ensuring that homeless applicants can be interviewed on the same day

Councillor Jim Blackwood, Convener of Housing and Social Care, said: "Since the initial inspection in 2007, Housing Services have consistently met and beaten the targets we set in the Improvement Programme. I am confident that, with the continuing hard work and commitment of everyone involved we will continue along that successful path and create a housing service of the highest quality."

(GK/CD)