Housing services highlighted in Annual Performance Report

The annual report outlines the performance of Housing Services during 2024/25 and highlights progress made in re-letting empty homes, the number of new tenants remaining in their homes for over a year and the number of gas safety checks carried out in all properties within 12 months of the previous check.  

Other key achievements in the past year include a significant improvement in tenant satisfaction across all areas of the housing service and the introduction of a new repairs policy which is already delivering improvements and a more efficient service.   

The percentage of existing tenants who are satisfied with the quality of their home has risen from 62.7% in 2023/24 to 87.8% in the last year. This puts West Dunbartonshire in the top quarter when compared with other Council landlords. 

The percentage of tenants who are satisfied with the opportunities they are given to participate in decision making has also increased from 69.2% to 87.2%, representing a significant improvement. 

Housing Services has also seen a further reduction in housing offers being refused and in the overall number of empty homes. 

The report also identifies the requirement for continued focus on meeting housing need, reducing waiting lists and reducing the number of households experiencing homelessness. 

It was presented to members of the Council’s Housing and Communities committee this week. 

The Council declared a housing emergency in West Dunbartonshire in May 2024 and a range of measures to tackle the emergency have been outlined in a comprehensive action plan, including reviewing budgets and funding models to enable more homes to be built, increasing the Buy Back scheme and actions to tackle homelessness with a clear focus on prevention and reducing the length of time households spend living in temporary accommodation. 

Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal, Convener of Housing and Communities, said: “There has been a significant amount of work undertaken over the last year to improve engagement with tenants and improve their experience particularly around repairs. It is great to hear that the new repairs policy is delivering for tenants and providing a more robust and efficient service. 

“There is no denying that we are still in a challenging period for housing services but our focus continues to be on providing for our tenants and focusing on bringing more homes into use to meet demand.” 

Councillor Hazel Sorrell, Vice Convener of Housing and Communities, said: “This report highlights the excellent work which is being undertaken by the Housing department for the benefit of tenants and residents in West Dunbartonshire. It is particularly pleasing to see progress in the number of gas safety checks carried out as that is an important statutory requirement which aims to keep tenants safe.” 

The full report can be found on the Council’s website at https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/our-performance/service-performance/housing-services-performance-information/charter-performance-report/ and all tenants will be provided with a paper copy within the winter edition of Housing News which will be posted in December.