Good result is great news for homes provider

Jul 31 2009 by Beverley Pearson, The Journal

THE company in charge of council housing in East Durham has been praised for its improvements in a report by the Audit Commission.

East Durham Homes (EDH) was given a ‘good’ service rating with ‘excellent prospects for improvements’.

Inspectors congratulated the firm on a change of culture, and for successfully addressing previous recommendations.

The report noted improved performance on repairs and a reduction in the number of empty properties. Shorter waiting times and a reduction in rent arrears were also recognised.

Inspectors also praised the improved response to anti-social behaviour cases and the increased size of the firm’s enforcement team.

But the report said 90% of the organisation’s homes do not meet the Government’s Decent Homes standard and need to be more energy efficient. It also said the way complaints are handled and some debts recovered is weak.

The inspectors recommended East Durham Homes uses information on the needs of tenants to tailor services to meet their requirements and agrees plans with them for the future use of sheltered housing schemes. Chief executive Paul Tanney said: “This is a fantastic result for East Durham Homes and means that we should now be able to access the additional decent homes funding to improve customers’ homes.”