Contact the editorI hope you enjoy reading Open House. If you have any comments to make please contact the editor, Sandra O’Connor, on %020 8726 6100 or email: housing@croydon.gov.uk

email us: housing@croydon.gov.uk

Large print: to receive Open House and other housing information in large print, please call % 020 8726 6100

OpenHouseIssue 92 • sprIng 2013

A property-swap event, aimed at helping tenants to avoid being hit in the pocket by imminent changes to housing benefit, has been branded a success.

Hot on the heels of its first event in January, the council staged a second – and was delighted that more than 200 people attended and that it received 198 requests to view properties.

Unlike the first event, which concentrated on New Addington, the March show, held in Fairfield, widened the playing field to cover the whole of the borough.

The aim was to get overcrowded tenants and those with spare rooms to exchange homes, and, in the process, help them avoid the worst of the changes and, at the same time, ease the council’s growing housing problem.

From 1 April, working-age tenants living in homes with spare bedrooms saw their housing benefit cut by 14% for one

spare bedroom, and 25% for two or more spare bedrooms.

The government is changing the amount people can claim, basing the sum on the number of bedrooms needed by the household, rather than the number in the property.

Currently, there are about 1,200 council tenants living in under-occupied homes who will be affected by the benefit changes.

Visitors noted the details of properties that interested them, and the next stage of the process will see council staff carry out a matching exercise of tenants and properties.

Visitors were able to browse 14 stalls offering a range of information such as advice on welfare reform and how to get back into work.

So popular was the event, the council will be staging another, again at Fairfield, on Tuesday 25 June, between 1 and 7pm.

Benefit changes see page 3

Applying for social housingsee page 2

get involved!see page 7

Mother-of-three Binta Barry (pictured), from West Croydon, went along in the hope of finding a three or four bedroom property and praised the council’s initiative in staging the property- swap events.

The 49-year-old said: “There are lots of people like me who want a bigger home. It’s not going to be easy.

“But it’s fantastic what the council’s doing, they’re trying to help people.I’m glad they organised this event and I hope they can hold more in the future.”

Councillor Dudley Mead, cabinet member for housing, said: “We want to help tenants affected by the benefit changes.

“We were delighted by the turn-out at the swap event and the number of requests we’ve had to view properties.

“It shows there’s a desire for people to find a home more appropriate to their needs. We’ve already set a date for the next event, and we’ll be back in Fairfield on 25 June.”

Councillor Mead pointed out that tenants looking to downsize may be able to claim financial assistance to help with the costs of moving.

This could be in the form of a special transfer payment scheme which pays £2,000 for each bedroom freed up, with the maximum payment set at £8,000 (see Are you thinking about downsizing? on page 5 for more details).

For more information, call the council’s housing department on %020 8726 6100

BenefitChanges

Council’s home- swap drive gets tenants’ thumbs-up

OpenHouse Spring 2011 | Issue 862

Enter this summer’s garden competition and be in with a chance to win one of the prizes of garden centre vouchers. Early entrants will also receive a free packet of seeds.

The winners will each receive a £30 voucher, a trophy and certificate, with runners-up prizes of £20 vouchers and certificates, so don’t delay in completing the entry form (right). It’s a great chance to win recognition for your efforts and to share your gardening experience with us.

The categories are:• Best garden • Best communal garden around blocks of flats

• Best vegetable garden • Best hanging basket

How can you enter?Complete and cut out the entry form (right) and return it to: Croydon Landlord Services, Tenancy and neighbourhood services team, Taberner House, Park Lane, Croydon CR9 1DH, by 14 June.

Judging will take place in July or August and the panel will include representatives from the tenants and leaseholders panel.

You can also apply on line at www.croydon.gov.uk

From April, the council is applying different rules governing who qualifies to go on Croydon’s housing register and will be assessing housing need according to much stricter criteria. This will apply to anybody already on the housing register, as well as to new or returning applicants.

Because there is such a high level of housing need in the borough, the council has decided to target social housing to those in the greatest need. Applicants will not be added to the housing register unless they have at least a moderate need to move. Applicants assessed as having a low housing need, or with no housing need at all, will not be placed on the housing register. For some applicants currently on the housing register, this may mean moving to a different band, or, for some, their application no longer being included in the register.

Am I eligible for council housing? You are eligible to join Croydon’s housing register if you are aged 18 or

over, are assessed as having a housing need and are not subject to immigration controls. Information and advice about “immigration controls” is available from the Home Office (immigration directorate) by telephone on

% 0870 606 7766 or via the website at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

Do I qualify to apply for the housing register?You can apply to go on the council register if:

• you live in Croydon and have lived in Croydon for at least 12 months;

• you are not registered on another council’s housing register;

• you cannot afford to rent or buy a suitable home privately;

• you do not owe rent arrears from a previous tenancy; and

• you have not broken the tenancy conditions or been guilty of criminal or antisocial behaviour.

What level of housing need must I have?Your application will go on the housing register if you have at least a

“moderate” housing need – which means:

• you must be at least two bedrooms overcrowded according to the bedroom standard,

• your housing is in a poor state of repair and has a moderate ongoing effect on your health,

• you have a medical condition or disability which is moderately affected by your housing,

• you are homeless according to the Housing Act 1996, or

• you need to move on welfare grounds because you are leaving local authority care, have been referred by a council social worker, or you are a foster carer or adoptive parent and need to move to larger accommodation in order to accommodate a child looked after by Croydon Council.

Does anyone get more priority for housing?Yes, if you are assessed as having a housing need you will get increased

priority if you are:

• working;

• training; or

• registered as foster carers and adoptive parents by Croydon Council.

Armed forces personnel If you are a serving or former member of the armed or reserve forces you

will also be awarded additional preference and your application will go into band 1. This applies if you are a former member of the armed or reserve forces, if you have been injured or disabled as a result of your service and it also applies to bereaved widows and civil partners of deceased service men and women.

How will I know what the changes mean for me?The council is currently reviewing all live housing applications and, until

August, will be writing to all applicants to let them know how they will be affected. To ensure fair and consistent service to all applicants, tight timescales have been set up for the reviews. This means, unfortunately, that it is not possible to respond to any queries about individual cases until the review calendar has completed.

It is understood that this is an emotive subject, and you will want to know, as soon as possible, how you will be affected; please be assured that the utmost is being done to inform applicants as soon as possible. Please refrain from querying your status until you receive the council's communication.

For further information For further information, visit www.croydon.gov.uk/housing

OpenHouse Spring 2013 | Issue 922

Applying for social housing

I would like to enter or nominate:

First name

Surname

Address

Postcode

Tel. no.

Email My details (if different from above):

First Name

Surname

Address

Postcode

Tel. no.

Email Please tick all that apply:

Best garden

Best vegetable garden

Best communal garden around a block of flats

Best hanging basket

Housing garden competition 2013 - entry form

Closing date for entries 14 June 2013

✂

How does your garden grow?

• finding a job or training • childcare • managing money or debt • housing and much more.

The past nine months have seen 84 fixed penalty notices issued across the borough against selfish individuals who make our streets dirty and untidy with their thoughtless litter-dropping and other waste offences.

Some people, it seems, fail to appreciate that littering and fly-tipping are environmental crimes.

Croydon’s area enforcement officers (AEOs) and neighbourhood wardens work hard to investigate incidents of environmental crime and gather evidence that can be used in court.

They work closely both with the community and the police, and can issue fixed-penalty fines when they catch those responsible for littering or fly-tipping.

And, if fines go unpaid, they prosecute people who are caught for these offences.

Although the majority of Croydon’s fines are issued by AEOs, fear that the anti-littering message is still not getting through has prompted the council to review its approach to environmental enforcement.

Over the coming months, the council will hire an external company, Xfor, that specialises in issuing fixed penalty notices for littering, including cigarette butts, and dog control order offences.

Approximately 90% of fines are issued for dropping cigarette butts. That’s not surprising when, every day in the UK, 200 million of them – something like 122 tonnes – are dropped by thoughtless smokers.

Some of the biggest and most visible problems in the borough, however, are caused by fly-tippers.

These include traders and residents who have dumped their rubbish illegally on the street to avoid having to pay for it to be removed legally.

All fly-tip incidents are investigated and if evidence can be found, the offender will be prosecuted, facing a fine of up to £50,000, five years in prison, or both.

The council is focusing enforcement on key fly-tipping hot-spots, and has had some success but identifying the culprits can often be difficult as not many members of the public come forward with evidence of who has done it.

AEOs have managed to reduce the number of businesses that flout the law. One effective tactic has seen them working with businesses to get proper trade waste removal contracts set up so that problems should not be repeated.

Tony Brooks, the council’s director of public realm and safety, said: “Although enforcement is effective it wouldn’t be necessary if residents and businesses acted more responsibly.

“Whether it’s a casually-flicked spent cigarette or a mountain of business waste, it’s a criminal offence, and it shows disrespect for the community.”

Help the council make Croydon cleaner and be proud of your street. Don’t litter. Don’t fly-tip.

For more information on Croydon’s anti-littering campaign, ‘Keep it Clean’, visit www .croydon .gov .uk/keepitclean

yourenvironment March 2013 - May 2013 | Your Croydon10

Getting tough on litter and fly-tippingLitter louts and fly-tippers targeted as council vows to keep it clean.

It is a criminal offence to drop litter in the street or in a public open space, to leave litter on a bench or street furniture, or to

throw it from your vehicle.

GETTING TOUGH

KEEP IT CLEAN!

STOP

Dumped waste – whether dumped by residents, traders or businesses – creates problems for the local environment and attracts other antisocial behaviour, encouraging others to leave their rubbish.

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence attracting fines of up to £50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years.

The council takes the matter very seriously and will investigate reports of dumped rubbish to identify where it has come from.

While committed to keeping your streets and pavements clean, the council needs your help.

If you see someone dumping rubbish in your neighbourhood, let the council know, with as much detail of the offence as you can safely gather.

Information on the time and place, the vehicle used – make, colour, registration number, company name, etc – and a description of the people involved, are all helpful in attaining a successful prosecution.

You can report street cleanliness issues in your area quickly and conveniently, at www.croydon.gov.uk/reportit

Use the e-form to report litter, dumped rubbish, fly-posting, dog fouling or simply report an area that you think needs cleaning.

Keeping your streets clean is a two-way thing, so help us to help you.

Find out more about Croydon’s anti-littering campaign at www.croydon.gov.uk/keepitclean

Fly-tipping is an environmental crime, but some people fail to realise that.

Sprng 2013 | Issue 92 OpenHouse 3

How the benefit changes will affect you

Don’t just ignore it… report it

From April, the government is making significant changes to welfare and benefits, with more than 16,000 local residents affected, some by more than £200 per week.

Here’s a summary of what the changes mean

If you are affected by these changesIf you claim benefits, you must open and read all letters from Croydon

Council, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus.

Useful advice is available at www.croydon.gov.uk/benefitchanges which also includes fact sheets about:

• finding a job or training

• accessing childcare

• money management

• debt advice

If you want to talk to somebody about how the benefit cap will affect you, please call our benefits team on % 020 8726 7000, option 2.

If you need to speak to somebody about how the council tax support affects you, please call our benefits team on % 020 8726 7000, option 2 or email croyhben@croydon.gov.uk

You can speak to the Croydon welfare rights team on % 0800 731 5920 to make sure you are claiming the benefits you are eligible for.

Need help finding a job?For advice on finding a job, useful websites and events, access to childcare, support for people with disabilities and more, visit 0 www.croydon.gov.uk/benefitchanges

If you, or anyone you live with, are claiming an out-of-work benefit you could get help from Reed in partnership. They can help you overcome barriers that may be preventing you from finding work. Phone the supply team on [ 020 8274 4245.

The Meeting Point project can give you one-to-one support with job matching, work placements, matching to training courses, addressing skills gaps, mentoring and much more. Open day sessions are held every Friday from 10am to 3pm at the Skills & Development Agency, 2nd floor, Suffolk House, east entrance, George Street, Croydon. Phone [ 020 8603 7221

If you are worried that you will not be able to manage your money and pay your rent every week you can get help from your income officer on 020 8726 6100. You can pay your rent online at: www.croydon.gov.uk/payments, at the post office, at paypoint outlets, over the telephone using a credit or debit card, by bank standing order or direct debit (the best way to make sure your rent is paid on time) – ask about setting this up now.

Benefit capThere will be a limit on how much a person can claim for their household.

Benefits will be capped at £350 per week for a single person without children, and £500 per week for everyone else, including families with children.

If the total amount of all benefits is more than the limit, it will be deducted from the housing benefit (help paying rent) with the customer needing to make up the difference.

BenefitChanges

Bedroom limit Housing benefit (help paying rent) will be reduced for people of “working age” whose homes have “spare” bedrooms.

"Spare" bedrooms is considered as the number of bedrooms a household needs, and not the number of bedrooms the property has. One spare room will see a deduction of 14% per week; two or more mean a deduction of 25% per week. If you receive housing benefit and have spare bedrooms, you will lose money.

BenefitChanges

Council tax supportThe government’s national council tax benefit scheme will be replaced with council tax support.

The council is protecting those claiming disability living allowance, employment and support allowance, and income support. The exemption also applies to people receiving a state pension, and single parents with children under the age of five.

However, all other customers who currently receive council tax benefit will be affected by the changes because they will have to pay something toward their council tax.

BenefitChanges

Refreshments and a crèche facility will be provided.0 www.croydon.gov.uk/benefitchanges Friday 19 April 2013 10.30am to 2.30pm

Come along to Fairfield Halls, Croydon, and get free advice and support on:

BenefitChanges

OpenHouse Spring 2011 | Issue 864

We measure ourselves against a range of performance indicators, compare the costs of your housing services and ask you, through surveys, what you think of those services.

We present this information to a number of residents’ panels who make recommendations on how services can be improved. Here is a snapshot of last year’s performance, and what tenants said to us in a postal survey last summer.

The council employed Feedback Services to carry out a tenant satisfaction survey. Just fewer than 4,000 tenants were invited to take part in the survey and 1,524 responded (39%).

Overall satisfaction with the housing service 77% up 3%

This figure is based on the survey that was carried out in the summer of 2012 and is up on the previous survey carried out in 2011.

How we compare with other outer London boroughs whose data is available…

Hounslow Homes 83%Croydon Council 77%LB Harrow 75%LB Barking & Dagenham 73%Enfield Homes 69%Lewisham Homes 69%Haringey Homes 62%

This is good news. We have been working hard to listen to your views and improving your housing services.

Satisfaction with the overall quality of your home 75% up 4%

This figure is based on the survey that was carried out in the summer of 2012 and is up on the previous survey carried out in 2011.

How we compare with other outer London boroughs…

Hounslow Homes 78%Croydon Council 75%LB Harrow 75%LB Barking & Dagenham 74%Haringey Homes 65%Enfield Homes 64%Lewisham Homes 63%

Satisfaction with your neighbourhood as a place to live 74% up 3%

This figure is based on the survey that was carried out in the summer of 2012 and is up on the previous survey carried out in 2011.

Hounslow Homes 78%LB Harrow 78%Lewisham Homes 75%Croydon Council 74%LB Barking & Dagenham 74%Haringey Homes 64%Enfield Homes 64%

Satisfaction with repairs 75% up 3% This figure is based on the survey that was

carried out in the summer of 2012 and is up on the previous survey carried out in 2008.

We have been working hard to improve the repairs service – this is seen as a priority by

residents. New initiatives have been introduced; eg, appointment times, etc.

How we compare with other outer London boroughs…

Croydon Council 75%Enfield Homes 74%Hounslow Homes 74%LB Harrow 73%LB Barking & Dagenham 66%Lewisham Homes 63%Haringey Homes 61%

Empty properties 25 days (up from 23 in 2010/11)

This figure shows how long it takes us to relet our empty homes. It includes time to advertise empty homes, and carry out viewings and sign-ups, while ensuring our contractors bring the property up to the expected standard for new tenants to move in. This figure has increased as a result of problems with hard-to-let sheltered homes. We are looking at how to make best use of some of our sheltered housing. Our current performance on empty properties is very good and meeting targets.

LB Harrow 20 daysLewisham Homes 23 daysCroydon Council 25 DaysHaringey Homes 31daysEnfield Homes 39 DaysLB Barking & Dagenham 42 DaysHounslow Homes 65 Days

Current arrears 1.8% (down from 2.0% in 2010/11)

This shows the total rent arrears owed by current tenants as a percentage of one year’s rental income. In general, if the percentage is coming down we are collecting all the rent due for the past year, plus some of the arrears. If it is going up then we haven’t collected all of the rent due last year.

How we compare with other outer London boroughs…

LB Harrow 1.6%Croydon Council 1.8%Enfield Homes 2.8%Hounslow Homes 3.2%LB Barking & Dagenham 3.6%Lewisham Homes 4.2%Haringey Homes 7.0%

Housing management costs £483 per property (down from £486 in 2010/11)

This shows the total costs of your housing management service, including staffing and overhead costs, and includes the following services: rent collection, antisocial behaviour, tenancy management and lettings, and tenant involvement expressed as a cost per property.

Hounslow Homes £273Enfield Homes £309Lewisham Homes £327LB Barking & Dagenham £338LB Harrow £350Croydon Council £483Haringey Homes £506

Repairs costs £880 per property (down from £884 in 2010/11)

This shows the total costs of your repair service, including staffing and overheads costs, day-to-day repairs, repairs to empty properties and supervision of the council’s contractors expressed as a cost per property.

LB Barking & Dagenham £716Hounslow Homes £729Croydon Council £880Enfield Homes £919Lewisham Homes £958LB Harrow £1,015Haringey Homes £1,162

Major works and cyclical maintenance costs £1,134 (down from £1,226 in 2010/11) This shows the total cost of major works (eg, new kitchens and bathrooms, windows and central heating) and cyclical maintenance (eg, external decoration, boiler servicing) expressed as a cost per property.

LB Barking & Dagenham £1,041

Croydon Council £1,134

LB Harrow £1,517Hounslow Homes £2,012Lewisham Homes £2,068Enfield Homes £2,444Haringey Homes £2,621

Add in overall budget increased, so can do more improvements, etc.

Percentage of homes failing to meet the decent homes standard 1% up from 0%

The decent homes standard is a key indicator. It is government policy that all social rented homes should have met this standard by 2010 and should thereafter continue to be maintained to that standard. The 2010 target was met and we aim to increase our budget to ensure that all our homes continue to meet the standard.

Hounslow Homes 0%Croydon Council 1%LB Harrow 16%Haringey Homes 30%LB Barking & Dagenham 39%Enfield Homes 47%Lewisham Homes 51%

OpenHouse Spring 2013 | Issue 924

Our performance, costs and what you told us

76% of tenants would recommend the council to family and friends.Copies of the survey and annual performance report can be found on the council’s website at www.croydon.gov.uk/housing

We wish to thank all tenants who gave their time to complete the survey. The results help us to identify issues that residents feel are priorities or areas of concern. We will focus on working with residents in a bid to improve housing services.

If you are, there’s lots of help that we can offer. The first thing you need to do is to join the housing register –

this is the list of tenants who want to move to another council or housing association property – you can register online at: www.croydon.gov.uk/housing-transfer

Once we’ve confirmed that you’re eligible to downsize, you’ll be given priority for a move to a smaller home. And that’s not all – because we’re so keen to free-up accommodation for families in need of larger homes, we may pay for your removal expenses and give you a downsizing grant up to £8,000 (a special transfer payment) as well!

You can read more about the special transfer payment scheme at www.croydon.gov.uk/special-transfer-payment. Or we can send you a leaflet about the scheme, if you would prefer.

It’s also possible to qualify for the special transfer payment by swapping homes with someone else. This is worth thinking about, as it can take a while for us to find you a suitable transfer.

With a mutual exchange you can find your own swap partner – someone living in a smaller home who needs the number of bedrooms that you have – or you can register for the HomeSwapper scheme (details at www.croydon.gov.uk/homeswapper). Exchanges happen quite frequently

and it’s another good way of moving into a property more suited to

your needs.

Overcrowded families, whether already registered on our transfer list or not, can consider a mutual exchange as a good way of finding a larger home while staying in their local area.

So is it time you thought about downsizing? You can find out more by going online at www.croydon.gov.uk/housing-moves, speaking to the under-occupation officer on % 020 8726 6100, emailing housing@croydon.gov.uk or coming along to the next property swap at Fairfield on 25 June, between 1-7pm.

The council is set to introduce fixed-term tenancies to help increase social housing supply and meet the borough’s housing needs.

In most cases, the tenancies granted will be for a minimum of five years, however, social landlords can offer two-year terms in certain circumstances.

The Localism Act 2011 requires local authorities to publish a tenancy strategy providing guidance to social landlords on issuing the new tenancies. All social landlords are also required to publish their own tenancy policy explaining the type of tenancy a new tenant can expect to be offered.

In Croydon, the council expects social landlords to award fixed-term tenancies of five years to the vast majority of new tenants. Lifetime tenancies will be offered only in very limited circumstances; for example, for sheltered or extra care housing.

The aim of the policy is to free-up the supply of social housing by helping tenants who can afford it to move on and through reletting properties that are

no longer suitable for their current occupants. It will ensure social housing is targeted at those who need it, for as long as they need it, and will, therefore, enable more people to benefit from our social housing stock.

At least six months before the end of the fixed-term tenancy, the landlord will have carried out a review of the needs of the tenant and their household. The review will look at the number of people in the household, their housing need, the household’s income and whether they can afford to rent or buy privately, and at how the tenancy has been conducted, including any rent arrears owed, or complaints. If the review finds that the tenant is still in need of housing and the accommodation no longer meets the household’s needs, the tenant will be offered a suitable alternative.

The new tenancy policy, which is available on the council’s website at www.croydon.gov.uk, will apply only to future tenancies; existing tenants applying for a transfer will not be affected.

Sprng 2013 | Issue 92 OpenHouse 5

Are you thinking about downsizing?

Introduction of fixed-term tenancies

Clive Shepherd, 56, lived in his three-bedroom house in Lodge Lane, New Addington, for 28 years with his son and daughter. The children grew, left home, got married and had children of their own, leaving Clive alone in his house.

He had heard of the house-swap scheme but had done nothing about it until a council officer asked him if he would consider downsizing. Clive said: “I told him that I would, but I didn’t want to move far because I like the area. I wanted to stay in New Addington.”

It was explained that widening his favoured area would improve the chances of finding a swap that he liked, but Clive was adamant he wanted to stay local.

“I was offered one place, up at the top of the estate, but I wasn’t keen. Then, after about a month, I was shown a nice little ground-floor flat that I liked. And it was in the same road I’d been living in all that time. I took it and it suits me down to the ground.

“My old place has now been done up and a family’s living in there. So I’ve got a place that better suits me, and a family’s got a house they might not have got otherwise. It’s a good idea to let people apply for a swap. The process was dead easy and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking to downsize.”

Failing to keep his dog on a lead cost a man £215 in the first prosecution of its kind by the council.

Lyndon Roberts, aged 22, of Selhurst Road, Croydon, was found guilty in his absence at Croydon Magistrates’ Court, after he failed to respond to a fixed penalty notice issued by neighbourhood wardens. He also gave a false address when he received the notice.

The fine comes after the council created dog control orders on all council housing land and any other areas it is responsible for maintaining. The orders are designed to clamp down on animal nuisance and other offences, including not cleaning up dog mess and taking more than four dogs onto land.

Roberts was caught letting his dog run loose on the green area behind 1-2B Sunny Bank in South Norwood on 11 July last year.

Having previously been warned to keep his animal on a lead, he was issued with a fixed penalty notice. The court ordered that, in addition to a fine of £100, he must pay £100 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Councillor Dudley Mead, cabinet member for housing, said: “This case shows that the council will not hesitate to take action against irresponsible dog owners. Other residents should not have to suffer when certain individuals refuse to keep their dogs under control.”

If you are aware of irresponsible dog owners, telephone % 020 8726 6100 and ask to speak to the neighbourhood warden manager for your area. Go to www.croydon.gov.uk to learn more about neighbourhood wardens and enforcement.

Keeping ‘irresponsible’ dog owners on a tight leash

OpenHouse Spring 2011 | Issue 866

Changes to the concessionary repairs scheme

Many repairs to council properties, including clearing blocked waste pipes and replacing light bulbs, are tenants’ responsibility.

However, if you are a tenant living in sheltered or special sheltered accommodation, aged 70 years or more, or registered disabled, you are eligible for our concessionary repairs scheme which entitles you to have some repairs that would normally be your responsibility carried out by the council.

We have recently made some improvements to the repairs that are eligible under the concessionary repairs scheme and a full list can be found by going to the website below.

To report a repair that would normally be your responsibility, but which you feel falls under the concessionary scheme, call the council’s contact centre on

%020 8726 6101 or visit www.croydon.gov.uk

More information about the concessionary repairs scheme can be found at www.croydon.gov.uk/concessionaryrepairs

DO YOU HAVE A WORKING SMOKE ALARM AT HOME?IF NOT YOU ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE IF A FIRE STARTS IN YOUR HOME

www.facebook.com/firekills

In the event of a fire

Get out, stay out and call 999Don’t attempt to tackle a fire yourself

Croydon Council, as your landlord, has a responsibility to you and your home, and every year we carry out safety checks to ensure that the gas appliances that we own are safe and in good working order. As a tenant, you must let the council’s registered gas contractor, T Brown Group, into your home to carry out the checks. If you have any questions or concerns about gas safety checks or would like any further information, please contact the gas servicing team on 020 8760 5588. The London Fire Brigade will be happy to give you general advice on fire safety issues. For more information, visit www.london-fire.gov.uk/HomeFireSafetyVisit.asp

226 people die each year in fires in their homes, caused by smoking materials, cooking, candles and other things such as faulty electrical wiring or appliances.

You can reduce the risk of fire in your home by following some simple fire safety steps.

1Test your smoke alarms weekly. Never remove the batteries.

2

out! Put it out. Right

Make sure you put cigarettes out properly and never smoke in bed.

3Plan an escape route and make sure everyone knows it and where door and window keys are kept.

We have recently been working with our tenants steering group looking at the existing repairs guide and other information that tenants and leaseholders currently have available to help them with queries about the repairs service.

Everyone agreed that the existing repairs guide given to all new tenants needed to be updated, and we held a series of meetings to decide what the new guide should include. We are in the process of putting together the final draft and we hope that this will be available to new tenants by the summer.

In the meantime, the steering group agreed that it would be helpful if all tenants, including new ones, had a smaller refresher guide that contained just the very important information – such as tenants’ repair responsibilities, information about gas servicing and how to report a repair – and we have been working with our design studio to produce this.

This smaller guide is now completed and we have produced a small number to send to a sample group of tenants. If the feedback indicates that the guide is helpful, the guide will be made available to all tenants across the course of the year.

Anybody who would like a copy of the new smaller guide, call % 020 8726 6100 or email housing@croydon.gov.uk

The repairs tenants steering group meets every two months; if you would like to take part, call Sharon Day on

%020 8726 6100 ext 62772, or email sharon.day@croydon.gov.uk

OpenHouse Spring 2013 | Issue 926

New responsive repairs guide for tenants

REPAIR GUIDE FOR TENANTS 2012 REPAIR GUIDE FOR TENANTS 2012 1

Repair Guide for Tenants

HELP STOPHOUSING

CHEATSA fraudster who illegally sublet her council home has been sent to prison and forced to hand back the keys to her home.

Hildrith Bennett, aged 51, formerly of Bramley Hill, South Croydon, was sentenced to eight weeks after pleading guilty to three counts of benefit fraud and one fraud offence.

Croydon Magistrates’ Court heard that since February 2007, she had been renting out the property for £600 a month while claiming housing and council tax benefits. The total fraud amounted to around £50,000.

This is the first time the council has carried out an illegal subletting prosecution using the Fraud Act. The council has since repossessed the property, as it continues its crackdown on illegal subletting.

Last month at Croydon County Court, Nicola Chin, aged 37, was ordered to give up her council home in Pawson’s Road, Broad Green, after she was found to have been illegally subletting it.

Councillor Dudley Mead, cabinet member for housing, said: “I hope that Bennett's prison sentence will send out a deterrent to those who think they can defraud the benefits and social housing system.

“It is a council priority to ensure that hard-working honest taxpayers are not cheated by fraudsters such as this. We will not hesitate to take offenders to court, where as this case shows, they could be sent to prison.”

If you suspect someone is living in a council home without the right to be there, please share your suspicions with us. You can call our confidential fraud line on 0800 328 9270. All reports will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Sprng 2013 | Issue 92 OpenHouse 7

Following an initial pilot, new and improved kiosks have now been rolled out in six sheltered schemes.

The new wall-mounted kiosks are now in the community rooms at Allington Court, Beech and Cedar House, Bridge Place, Purvis House and College Green.

The kiosks are for the benefit of all sheltered tenants, providing a free telephone line to the council’s contact centre; tenants will also be able to send emails to report their repairs. The launch, last autumn at Bridge Place, was attended by a number of tenants who took part in a training session with council staff and Age UK offered free training and paid-for courses.

The kiosks feature the following benefits:• Easy-to-use, with no prior knowledge or computer skills required.• Touch- screen system and a robust trackball keyboard for easy operation.• Local information easily updated for your scheme.• Magnifier and reader for tenants with sensory impairment.• Adjustable text sizes. • The kiosks meet the new equality Act requirements for people with a disability.• Free phone line to the council’s contact centre.• The kiosks will have restricted access for security reasons; ie, access enabled to appropriate sites only.• The kiosks have a built-in privacy filter.• The facility to send information of interest to users’ personal computers should they wish to print

articles of interest.If you would like help in using the kiosks, contact your visiting CarelinePlus staff who will arrange some guidance.

Or telephone CarelinePlus on 020 8726 6501 ext 88320.

New improved kiosks in sheltered housing schemes

An invitation to join the disability panelAre you a council tenant or leaseholder with a disability, or the carer of a disabled council tenant or leaseholder?

Would you like to have your say about how the housing service can better meet the needs of residents with disabilities?If you answered yes to these two questions, find out more about this panel.For more information about joining the housing disability panel, call

the resident involvement team on %020 8726 6100, email housing@croydon.gov.uk or visit www.croydon.gov.uk/housing/residents/spanels where you will find minutes of past meetings.

We are looking for residents to help us make the right decisions about housing services.

If you can attend regular meetings or even if you can spare only 10 minutes a month, there is something for you…

• Speak to the decision makers at a ‘Your housing, Your questions’ event (visit www.croydon.gov.uk/housing/residents/yhyq for details of past events)

• Receive our e-newsletter – ‘Involve’ (Go to www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe)

These are just a few of the ways you can have your say. To get involved, join our resident involvement database – the housing sounding board. You can register on line www.croydon.gov.uk/housingsoundingboard or request a form from the resident involvement & scrutiny team on %020 8726 6100.

Getting involved in your housing services

We are now recruiting committed residents to join our scrutiny panel. Your role will be to investigate different aspects of the housing service and recommend improvements.

You need to be able to:• work independently and as part of a team • understandandanalysereportsandinformation• communicateclearlywithawiderangeofpeople• thinkaboutandputforwardnewideas

• representtheviewsofothers.

This is a voluntary role and you will not be paid. However, expenses incurred in carrying out the role will be reimbursed.

What’s in it for you?• the opportunity to improve your knowledge and

develop your life and work skills – there will be full training to support you in your role

• gain valuable ‘work experience’

• the chance to make a real difference to the council’s housing services and improve things for you and your neighbours.

Do you have what it takes? You can find out more by visiting our website www.croydon.gov.uk or you can come to our ‘drop in’ session at the Town Hall, Katharine Street, Croydon on Thursday 14 February 2013 from 3.00pm to 5.00pm, where officers and existing panel members will be available to answer any questions you may have. You can also contact the resident involvement team who will be pleased to answer any questions, by phone on 020 8726 6100, or by email at housing@croydon.gov.uk

To apply you will need to complete an application form which is available from www.croydon.gov.uk/housingscrutinyor from the resident involvement team. Residents who meet the criteria will be invited to an informal interview. Applications are encouraged from all sections of the community to ensure that the panel reflects the diverse communities who live on our housing estates.

Deadlineforapplications: Friday 1 March 2013

Are you over 18 and a Croydon Council tenant or leaseholder (or a member of their family living in the same household)?

Are you someone who likes to get things done?

Do you enjoy exploring what happens behind the scenes?

Do you have at least five hours a month to spare?

Housingscrutinypanel

Volunteers wanted

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HO

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RUTIN

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We are now recruiting committed residents to join our scrutiny panel. Your role will be to investigate different aspects of the housing service and recommend improvements.

You need to be able to:

• work independently and as part of a team;• understand and analyse reports and information; • communicate clearly with a wide range of people; • think about and put forward new ideas; and • represent the views of others.

This is a voluntary role and you will not be paid. However, expenses incurred in carrying out the role will be reimbursed.

What’s in it for you?

• The opportunity to improve your knowledge and develop your life and work skills – there will be full training to support you in your role.

• Gain valuable work experience.• The chance to make a real difference to the council’s

housing services and improve things for you and your neighbours.

Do you have what it takes?

You can find out more by visiting our website www.croydon.gov.uk Or you can come to our drop-in session at the Town Hall, Katharine Street, Croydon on Tuesday 30 April between 2pm and 4pm, where officers and existing panel members will be available to answer any questions you may have. You can also contact the resident involvement team who will be pleased to answer any questions, by phone on 020 8726 6100, or by email at housing@croydon.gov.uk

To apply, you will need to complete an application form, available at www.croydon.gov.uk/housing/residents/hsp or from the resident involvement team. Residents who meet the criteria will be invited to an informal interview. Applications are encouraged from all sections of the community to ensure that the panel reflects the diverse communities who live on our housing estates.

Are you aged over 18 and a Croydon council tenant or leaseholder (or a member of their family living in the same household)?

Are you someone who likes to get things done?

Do you enjoy exploring what happens behind the scenes?

Do you have at least five hours a month to spare?

Deadline for applications:close of business on Friday 31 May.

Attend a housing

conference

‘Mystery shop’ housing

services

Apply to join the scrutiny

panel

Complete surveys

Be a neighbourhood

voice – report on your caretaking

services

Join a repairs working group

Set up a residents’ association with your neighbours

Join us!

OpenHouse Spring 2013 | Issue 928

Housing scrutiny panel drop-in session (see pg 7 for more details)

30 April 2013 2pm - 4pm Town Hall, Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1XW

Tenant and leaseholder panel 30 April 2013 6.30pmCouncil Chamber, Town Hall, Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1XW

Inclusive forum 18 June 2013 10am - 4pm Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Croydon CR9 1DG

Housing disability panel 10 July 2013 2.30pm - 4pm Room F11 Town Hall, Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1XW

DATes FOr YOur DIArY 2013

Croydon’s resident stars

OUTSTANDING RESIDENTS GROUP

Council tenants and leaseholders who have represented their community through sheer hard work and dedication during the past year celebrated their achievements recently at the annual buffet for resident representatives.

The Mayor of Croydon, Councillor Eddy Arram, handed out resident involvement awards to category winners nominated by residents, councillors and officers.

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Always check to confirm dates and venues, as these can change at short notice. You may also be able to reclaim travel costs to meetings by completing a claim form (supported with receipts). For any further information, or to confirm meeting details, contact the resident involvement team on % 020 8726 6100 ext. 62954.

To keep up to date with what’s going on, subscribe to the Your Croydon eBulletin and receive a free monthly email that’s full of news and information about your borough. go to www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe

RESIDENT OF THE YEAR

Kim Wakely

Kim has been involved in representing residents of the Monks Hill estate in South Croydon for a number of years. Kim has chaired her local residents’ group, been heavily involved in resident working groups and, more recently, has been involved in selecting residents for the Croydon adult social service users panel (Cassup). Despite having a number of personal issues to deal with throughout 2012, Kim has shown dedication in her involvement with both residents and officers on a number of panels and projects. Thank you, Kim, for the work you have put into your community.

New Addington Pathfinders

The group launched its own website this year and was actively involved in both the Outer London Fund (OLF) and Connecting Community Fund projects. The Octagon at New Addington provided a base for the OLF design team and supporting the project’s Central Parade public-realm improvements launch. New Addington Pathfinders also organised and managed the New Addington Carnival for the third year and, more poignantly, provided a much-needed base in the summer over the Fieldway estate tragedy, driving and organising the community to support the police and council at a very tragic time for the people of New Addington and Fieldway. .

LONG SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Eric Webb

Eric became involved in resident involvement through his local resident group and has subsequently contributed to the work of many groups over the years. A member of his local housing panel, Eric has contributed his time to making the life of residents easier, and by representing their views. Thanks to the work of such people as Eric, resident involvement continues to make a difference.

MOST INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY/PROJECT

All Ages

All Ages is a project that focuses on young people and families locally, and looks at supporting the positive development of relationships between young people and adults on housing estates in a meaningful and sustainable way. The All Ages steering group is also the only consultative forum in housing that has young people and adults as equal members.

The group has been involved in designing, organising and managing projects such as:

• Two All Ages conferences

• 2 Views magazine, circulated to all tenants and leaseholders with Open House;

• organising local family fun days and active lifestyle sessions;

• working with London Fire Brigade to plan the Family Safety Challenge;

• drafting an all-ages strategy; and

• working with Croydon Voluntary Action to create a specific volunteering accredited course for this project.

This work has given Croydon Landlord Services success at the highest level by:

• achieving two national awards in 2012:

- UK Local Authority Landlord of the Year award

- Association of Retained Council Housing Innovation and Sustainability Award 2012 for the All Ages project, working across generations to build safer and stronger communities.

• Finalist in the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) 2013 award under the community involvement category.

new Addington pathfindersAll Ages project

Eric Webb

Kim Wakely