Introduction from Councillor Sof McVeigh, Lead Member for Housing Management, Housing Safety and New Homes.
I am Councillor Sof McVeigh your new Lead Member for Housing. I was delighted to be appointed to this role in September 2023, following a year as Lead Member for Communities.
Housing is a huge portfolio, accountable for the upkeep and safety of our 9,000 homes; responsible for our New Homes Programme and also ensuring that the 3,000 residents we have in temporary accommodation are treated fairly and found decent housing. Safe to say it’s been a very steep learning curve!
Much of what is included in this Annual Report occurred under my predecessor Councillor Kim Taylor-Smith.
In his 6 years in charge of housing, Kim was been a real champion for the community he serves, and I am glad that we will continue to benefit from his wisdom as he remains Deputy Leader. Seeing how he has built relationships with so many people has been inspiring and his commitment to investing in our homes is an essential legacy of his time in the role.
The proof of this commitment is evident in the Annual Report with us replacing over 2,000 windows with double glazing and completing eight major projects works in 2022 to 2023.
This will continue to be a major focus of mine and since being appointed I have been visiting our Capital Works sites and speaking to residents about how they are going and where we can do better. A major project this year will be Silchester Estate and ensuring residents are kept engaged and up-to-date throughout.
Another area of focus is repairs. Therefore I am glad to see that in 2022 to 2023 repair satisfaction rose, but the average number of days to respond to a repair also rose showing there is clearly more work to do.
I have spent much of my first few months visiting our estates and street properties and have been struck by the sheer variance of properties we manage. If you see me out and about please do chat to me, I really want to hear about what is good in housing, what is not, and what frankly needs to be way better.