Our Achievements

Moving across tenure is also a way of encouraging balanced communities. Set out below is an approach currently adapted by Mid-Wales Housing Association, with the aim of being responsive to the changing circumstances of households without the necessity of moving house.

CASE STUDY: ACHIEVING TENURE NEUTRAL GUILSFIELD POWYS

Mid-Wales Housing Association (MWHA) has developed the first scheme in Wales where units are developed and allocated on the basis of need, so there is no separate waiting list. Once the tenants have moved in, MWHA offers them the opportunity to “Homebuy” their property. For many, this just won’t be possible at the time, but circumstances can change and this offer remains. For those properties sold, should the owner decide to sell the property then MWHA retains a right to re-purchase the property, (though it may choose not to). This protects the affordable housing stock for the future.

We feel this is a good scheme because MWHA helps not only one family (with the initial unit) but also can help a second. If a property is purchased then Recycled Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) enables the development of a further unit. Key to this is ensuring that the RCGF is available for when it is needed – this is a problem if RCGF is “clawed back” after a 2 year period.

This means that a scheme of properties can be made up of some rented, some purchased properties. If you take this concept further then there should be no reason why a tenant could not move to become an owner, and possibly back to being a tenant, without moving house and in line with the various stages of their life. Schemes could then be mixed tenure and it would not be obvious which houses were sold and which were rented.

In November 2005 the Association introduced a new performance monitoring system called Metrics. The Metrics system seeks to provide monthly reports analysing the performance of the Association against core indicators required by the Board and senior managers to help them effectively manage the Association's business. It provided a foundation from which performance management could be further developed.

The Metrics report covered three broad areas - Stakeholder, Business Processes and Learning and Growing - and operated on a traffic light system showing green, amber and red performance. Where performance was below target (red indicators), operational managers met monthly to identify the reasons for poor performance and to agree how to manage an improvement in the service.

The Association developed a comprehensive Community Initiatives Strategy which set out in detail the criteria for projects. Initiatives had to benefit two of the following groups if they were pursued - the Association's Business Plan targets, a Council Community Strategy or Communities First Targets.

Finally, all work had to enhance at least one of the following:

• customer service
• growth
• surplus
• innovation
• stock condition and
• public image

The inspection identified a number of examples where the Community Initiatives Strategy had resulted in improvements for the Association and local communities, such as the development of an all-weather sports pitch and 10 houses at Guilsfield near Welshpool.