Housing and communities service plan 2025-28

A. Overview

Organisation chart

Achievements in 2024/25

The things your service delivered over the past year.

• Community Partnerships Service and Housing Needs collaborated with Reading Business Improvement District to Launch Tap for Reading  
• New Domestic Abuse Contracts for Refuge provision and Non-Refuge Support were implemented.  
• Significant reduction in the cost per night for emergency accommodation 
• NEC phase 1 go live across H&C to deliver likely for like replacement of IT system 
• Full implementation of Allocations Scheme with the changes to priority banding 
• Implementation of Housing Online as the new customer facing portal for Homechoice at Reading 
• Improved Housing website and content, including the tenancy agreement and videos 
• Facilitated 15 mutual exchanges  
• Collected over 100% of the rent due  
• Successfully managed DHP budget, provided tailored welfare benefit and budgeting advice to support tenants to sustain tenancies  
• Carried out 506 tenancy sign up’s for general needs, sheltered and temporary accommodation  
• Carried out approx. 22,000 repairs including annual gas safety checks  
• Delivered low carbon improvements in properties in Kentwood Ward by installation of new external wall insulation and render, triple glazed windows, new thermally efficient doors, mechanical ventilation and air source heat pumps. 
• Completion of the air source heat pumps programme at Granville Road 8 storey flats nearing completion of the second phase of the crosswall refurbishment at Newcastle Road and Hadrian Walk East.

Business-as-usual services 

The Housing and Communities Service is focused on delivering effective housing needs and housing management services, protecting communities and preventing crime, and the provision of new sustainable and affordable homes. The Service has developed an improvement program delivering under the banner of Building Communities, Empowering Lives which aims to improve efficacy and efficiency of services whilst responding to the requirements of the Regulator for Social Housing 

The service has a key role in the Council as the largest social landlord in Reading, as well as a key focus on thriving communities through the prevention of homelessness, breaking the cycle of rough sleeping, supporting asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable people to access accommodation and support and maintain their independence, keeping communities safe and building their resilience, and reducing inequality. 

Due to the level of statutory responsibilities, improvement work and ambition the service has been split into two portfolios providing additional strategic capacity and oversight.  

Assistant Director Housing Landlord Services 

Landlord Services 

Housing and estate management for RBC tenants, including those living in temporary accommodation, sheltered accommodation and extra care  

• Rent and Housing debt collection  
• Provision of specialist Inhouse money advice service which includes the administration and assessment of discretionary housing payments    
• Provision of sheltered accommodation and extra care housing and support 
• Services to leaseholders and administration of Right to Buy  
• Property services and housing management for Homes for Reading, the Council’s wholly owned private lettings company  
• Oversight of PFI contract for units managed by Affinity Housing   
• Housing Revenue service to administer and monitor payment methods, reconciliation to corporate financial system and meet requirements of internal and external audit   
• Tenant Engagement and co-regulation requirements 

Housing Property Services  

• Delivery of major capital housing projects 
• Planned maintenance of council homes 
• Delivery of reactive repairs through DSO and contractors  
• Strategic asset management of the housing stock 
• Client management on construction of new homes 
• Major adaptations of council homes  
• Delivery of net zero initiatives across the housing stock  

Housing Policy & Performance  

• Delivery of Service Improvement Plan 
• Best practice gathering to develop services 
• Support H&C teams with development of policies & procedures 
• Provide KPI information for periodic monitoring   
• Performance and benchmarking 
• Complete statutory annual returns to Housemark, RSH  and Government 
• Monitoring of complaint, FOI Cllr Enquiry, MP Enquiry & Housing Ombudsman cases   

Assistant Director Strategic Housing, Housing Needs and Communities 

Housing Needs Service  

• Management of the Housing Register  
• Allocation of Council homes 
• Prevention of Homelessness 
• Managing the Rent Guarantee scheme providing affordable private sector homes  
• Statutory homelessness services including temporary accommodation  
• Single homelessness services including support for rough sleepers  
• Support for asylum seekers and refugees and those with no recourse to public funds   
• Housing adaptations and grants team, delivering disabled facilities grants to residents in the borough 

Strategic Housing Team  

• Maximisation of the affordable housing pipeline from developers  
• Development of future phases of the Council’s New Build Programme  
• Housing Strategy and Policy development 
• Oversight of the Housing Revenue Account 30-year Business Plan 
• Responding to consultations on national housing policy 
• Leading on meeting the requirements of the Social Housing Regulator and Building Safety Regulator   

Property Development Team 

• Delivery of the Council’s Local Authority New Build programme including;  
  • Procurement and appointment of multi-disciplinary teams for each development  
  • Site assembly and feasibility 
  • Design and Planning submissions 
  • Clienting of contractors and employer’s agents 
  • Monitoring delivery through all RIBA stages  

Community Partnerships Service  

• Community Safety Partnership Strategy development and delivery 
• Town Safe Radio and CCTV monitoring  
• Domestic Abuse Strategy development and delivery 
• Commissioning of Domestic Abuse refuge and support services 
• Tackling anti-social behaviour across all tenures  
• Gypsy and traveller support and enforcement of unauthorised encampments 
• Community development & neighbourhood planning across Council housing estates
• Tenancy sustainment and advice for damp and mould cases 
• Tackling inequality and poverty in deprived communities including fuel poverty 
• Management and development of Housing-owned community centres 
• Development and oversight of Water Safety Partnership  

The Housing and Communities Service has an ambitious agenda as set out in the 5-year Housing Strategy 2020-25, centred around the vision for all our residents to have the opportunity to live in `a good quality sustainable home they can afford within a thriving neighbourhood’  

There are significant demand pressures on the Housing Needs service including increases in rough sleeping and a higher number of presentations from families threatened with homelessness, and from asylum seekers and refugees – in particular those who are losing their accommodation having been granted refugee status or leave to remain.  

As we continue to build new homes it is imperative that these are tied in with existing communities. Our approach to new development aims not just at delivering new homes but at the regeneration of communities.  

Driving social value out of the contracts for works to the benefit of residents will also be key to the regeneration programme.  

Housing plays a significant role in our ambition to be a zero-carbon town by 2030. We will continue to invest in retrofitting heating systems, improving insulation and other energy efficiency measures and ensure that all our new Council homes achieve passivhaus principles.  

The increasing level of regulation and monitoring of the social housing sector requires greater emphasis on safety, resident engagement and maintaining the Decent Homes standard. Following the introduction of the new Tenant Satisfaction Measures as part of the Consumer Standard, the Social Housing Regulator is preparing to carry out new comprehensive inspections of all social landlords, applying a range of indicators across all areas of the service. As the service has had its Assurance visit the outcomes and subsequent improvements will be monitored by the Regulator and need to be delivered at pace.  

The cost-of-living crisis continues to impact heavily on all of the service’s customers, accompanied by concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour. The Council’s housing estates are in areas of relative deprivation within Reading, and housing and community development services have a key role to play in keeping communities safe, increasing opportunities and reducing inequality.

B. Key Performance Indicators

Measure	Definition	Unit	Better (bigger or smaller)	Frequency (monthly, quarterly)	Target type (flat or cumulative)	Normal level/ Target 25/26	Normal level/ Target 26/27	Normal level/ Target 27/28	Council Plan KPI (Y/N)	Data provider
New affordable Council homes delivered (including acquisitions)	Numbers of LA Homes built or acquired in each year	No.	Bigger	Quarterly	Cumulative	73	89	83	Y	Daryn Inston
Housing repairs (all types) completed within timescale	Expected increase in number of Repairs completed on time	%	Bigger	Monthly	Flat	85%	85%	85%	Y	Isabelle Robson
Number of people sleeping rough (statutory snapshot count)	Reduction in the number of people sleeping rough year on year	No.	Smaller	Annually	Flat	57	50	45	N	Sarah Hennessy
Number of households in emergency accommodation	Reduction in number of households (singles and families) placed in emergency accommodation	No.	Smaller	Monthly	Flat	180	140	120	N	Sarah Hennessy
% Damp and Mould assessments to be carried out in time	& of Damp & Mould assessments completed within service defined timescale	%	Bigger	Annually	Flat	100%	100%	100%	N	Joanne Middlemass
Referrals into ASB team where Hate Crime is a factor	Increase in the number of ASB referrals with hate crime as a factor	No	Bigger	Annually	Flat	10	15	20	N	Jo Middlemass
% of residents who consider Reading to be a `safe place to live’	Based on CSP annual survey the % of residents who consider Reading to be safe	%	Bigger	Annually	Flat	49%	49%	51%	N	Joanne Middlemass
% of rent collected	% of rent collected from Council Housing Tenants	%	Bigger	Monthly	Cumulative	100%	100%	100%	N	Jamie Hill
% of properties with an in-date gas safety certificate	% of Council owned properties with an in-date gas safety certificate	%	Bigger	Monthly	Flat	100%	100%	100%	N	Isabelle Robson
% of required Fire Risk Assessments completed	% of required Fire Risk Assessments completed on council owned properties	%	Bigger	Monthly	Flat	100%	100%	100%	N	Isabelle Robson
% Housing repairs (urgent) completed within 2 working days		%	Bigger	Monthly	Flat	85%	85%		Y	Isobelle Robson
% of tenants very satisfied or fairly satisfied with overall service	% of council tenants satisfied with the overall landlord service	%	Bigger	Annually	Flat	80%	80%	85%	N	Jordan Hatswell
% of complaints, ME’s, HO cases and FOIs responded to within target timescales	% of complaints, ME’s, HO cases and FOIs responded to within target timescales	%	Bigger	Monthly	Flat	90%	90%	90%	N	Jordan Hatswell

C. Objectives for 2025-28

Objectives (one objective per row)	Council Plan objective? (Y/N)	Relevant Council Plan priority
Deliver new energy efficient council homes and improve tenant satisfaction with social housing.	Y	Promote fairer communities and affordable housing
Work with partners to prevent homelessness.	Y	Promote fairer communities and affordable housing
Delivering improved outcomes for tenants to increase satisfaction with their homes and the service they receive.	N	Promote fairer communities and affordable housing

D. Projects

Project name	What will this deliver and what will the benefits be?	Start date (month-year)	End date (month-year)	Budget	What resources is this project dependent on? (e.g. finance, legal, IT)	Relevant Council/Service Plan objective (from table above)	Council Plan project? (Y/N)	Data provider
Through the Local Authority New Build programme, deliver and maximising the delivery of homes 190 new homes at Dee Park by December 2028. 172 new homes at Battle Street, Hexham Road, Dwyer Road, and other smaller sites by December 2027.	New homes for Housing in Need  Start on Site for  Amethyst and Dwyer Road sites  Phase 3 Regeneration of Dee Park planning application submitted for phase 3   15-year development Plan developed   s  Short, medium and long-term plan progressed and programme of delivery established.	1st April 2025	December 2028	£70.921 mill HRA   £9.493 mill GF    For total LANB program to 2028.   This budget is subject to variation as it does not cover full costs for all schemes. Figures in line with agreed position as per Jan 2025 Committee Report – LANB Update report.	Legal, Finance, Procurement	Deliver new energy efficient council homes and improve tenant satisfaction with social housing.	Y	Daryn Inston
Complete the acquisition of Homes for Reading housing stock into the Council by the end of 2026 and re-let the homes to households on the Council’s Housing Register.	Homes for TA and key workers   To move all tenants from Homes for Reading accommodation to allow for vacant possession of the properties to be brought within HRA	1st April 2025	September 2027	There is no explicit budget linked to this project.	Legal, Finance, Procurement, PMO, valuations  Carry out consultation on future of HfR with existing tenants  Move up to 101 tenants into alternative accommodation at the end of tenancy	Deliver new energy efficient council homes and improve tenant satisfaction with social housing.	Y	Bryony Hall
Implement phase 2 of the Council’s housing system to support tenants to self-serve, book online repairs, and manage their rent accounts.	Self serve options for customers to book repairs and monitor rent accounts	Feb 25	Sept 25		PMO	Deliver new energy efficient council homes and improve tenant satisfaction with social housing.	N	Clare Leek
Increase the number and timeliness of repairs delivered by our Housing Repairs & Property Services teams, (overseen by an improvement plan)	Customer satisfaction	Feb 25	Mar 26	Service Budgets	Finance, PMO, HR, Legal	Deliver new energy efficient council homes and improve tenant satisfaction with social housing.	Y	Isabelle Robson
Support the Community Safety Partnership and facilitate Safer Neighbourhood Forums to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.	Residents feeling informed about what is happening in their local area to tackle crime and disorder and clear signposting as to how they can report issues and access support, with the aim of residents feeling that Reading is a safe place.	01/04/2025	31st March 2026	Partnership Fund allocation to be agreed with OPCC.	Support from Corporate Comms and ICT (specifically re the development of the new CSP Website)   Support from Policy Team re Hate Crime Awareness Raising and	Actively tackle injustice and inequality, creating safe, strong, and open communities.	Y	Jo Middlemass
Support an outcome-based plan to tackle knife crime through the Serious Violence Steering Group and overseeing the Serious Violence Strategic Needs Assessment.	The introduction of Prevention Partnerships (the new localised Partnership to deliver the Serious Violence Duty) to	1st April 2025	31st March 2026	Service Budget	N/A	Actively tackle injustice and inequality, creating safe, strong, and open communities.	N	Jo Middlemass
Continue to deliver a range of activities aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness and the use of emergency accommodation provision, provide value for money accommodation for those that are homeless, and move people onto settled accommodation as quickly as possible.	Reduction in use of emergency and temporary accommodation and rough sleeping    (KPI’s – rough sleeping/numbers in emergency accommodation/ homelessness Prevention)	1st April 2025	31st March 2026	Service Budget	Legal, finance, Procurement  Develop Rent Guarantee Scheme to offer more tenancies as alternative homeless applications   Work with agencies / supported housing providers to target support and accommodation options at rough sleepers  Under Occupation  Incentives for Landlords  % lets to homeless households Digital PHP	Work with partners to prevent homelessness.	Y	Sarah Hennessy
Deliver the Housing and Communities improvement plan to support the delivery of the Tenant Satisfaction Measures as set out by the RSH	Service improvement to meet requirements of Regulator of Social Housing and greater tenant satisfaction.	March 25	March 26		Legal, Finance, Procurement, HR, PMO	Delivering improved outcomes for tenants to increase satisfaction with their homes and the service they receive.	N	Jordan Hatswell
Low Carbon Improvements to Existing Homes	Improve the energy efficiency of existing homes	April 25	March 27		Legal, Finance, Procurement  External fabric and window replacement Wensley Road Towers  Final delivery of external fabric, windows and heating system replacement -Hexham Road Crosswall Properties Phase 2 Wensley – roof windows and external fabrication replacement	Delivering improved outcomes for tenants to increase satisfaction with their homes and the service they receive.	N	Isabelle Robson
Procurement of Rough Sleeping Services   (KPI – rough sleeping)	Provision of services for people sleeping rough, within potential new grant amounts and conditions	April 25	March 26		Legal, Finance, Procurement  Develop a plan for Procurement/renegotiation  of support and accommodation contracts for rough sleepers	Work with partners to prevent homelessness.	N	Sarah Hennessy
City of Sanctuary	Reading to be recognised as a City of Sanctuary to support refugees and people seeking asylum.	April 25	October 25	N/A	Sign off the Council’s own strategy  Complete and file the application		N	Sarah Hennessy
Delivering better services for Council Tenants	Tenants receive improved services	April 25	March 26	N/A	Legal, PMO  Review and redesign of Tenancy Agreement to regularise sector changes   Pilot customer consultation platform  Introduce and deliver new Housing MOT in relation to annual check of property condition agreed with tenants   Implementation of phase 2 of NEC Housing System and complete health check by September 25  Increase efficiency of rent collection through automated pathways in NEC system	Delivering improved outcomes for tenants to increase satisfaction with their homes and the service they receive.	N	Jordan Hatswell          Isabelle Robson       Clare Leek
Maximising the safety of the housing stock   (KPIs – gas safety, electrical safety, Fire Risk Assessments)	To ensure the safety of all residents in housing stock	April 25	March 26		Legal, Finance, Procurement  Maintain existing high levels of compliance for gas, asbestos, fire safety and water checks   Achieve 99% compliance for EICRs in all properties   Complete Building Safety Cases for all high-rise buildings   Complete physical check of all properties to identify servicing requirements and add details to database(s)	Delivering improved outcomes for tenants to increase satisfaction with their homes and the service they receive.	N	Isabelle Robson
Single homeless pods	Maintain availability of single homeless pods   Consider medium- and long-term options in light of demand and changing profile of rough sleepers	April 25	March 26	Service Budgets	Legal, Finance, Procurement, Planning    Ongoing maintenance of Caversham Road pods  Review funding stream for revenue to consider if alternative use is required – changing the profile of the statutory homelessness to ease funding.    Review of planning permission for pods   Review of location of pods taking account of potential developments on current sites	Work with partners to reduce homelessness	N	Sarah Hennessy
Understanding the impact of Rent Reform Implementation and create action plan to mitigate impact	Controlling homelessness demand	April 25	March 26		Legal, Finance	Delivering improved outcomes for tenants to increase satisfaction with their homes and the service they receive.	N	Sarah Hennessy

Annex: Council Plan priorities and objectives 

Vision: Our Vision is to help Reading realise its potential and to ensure that everyone who lives and works here can share the benefits of its success.

Priority 1: Promote affordable housing and more equal communities 

• Tackle economic inequality by taking a place-based approach to how we deliver all our services, and enhance access to education, skills, and training opportunities.  
• Deliver new energy efficient council homes and improve tenant satisfaction with social housing.  
• Prevent the escalation of children’s needs through developing Family Hubs. 
• Promote best practice across Reading’s schools, helping to improve educational attainment and narrow the gap for disadvantaged and vulnerable children. 
• Prevent and reduce health inequalities within the population of Reading and improve and protect the health and wellbeing of all its communities. 
• Through the community safety partnership, focus on reducing community-based drug activity, knife violence, violence against women and girls and youth reoffending. 
• Work with partners to prevent homelessness, provide value for money accommodation for those that are homeless, and move people onto settled accommodation as quickly as possible. 

Priority 2: Secure Reading’s economic and cultural success 

• Enable the delivery of over 800 high-quality new homes a year in Reading, along with the infrastructure to support new development. 
• Promote the economic success of Reading by working with councils across Berkshire and the wider Thames Valley. 
• Maximise the benefits available for Reading from opportunities arising from the English Devolution White Paper. 
• Continue to deliver quality cultural and leisure services and facilitate exciting improvements to our cultural offer through grant-funded projects. 

Priority 3: Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint 

• Make use of central government funding to deliver improvements to public transport, cycling and walking infrastructure in Reading. 
• Keep Reading moving by delivering investment in highways, including roads, bridges, streetlighting and traffic signals. 
• Continue moving towards a net zero, resilient Reading and council by 2030. 
• Further improve the physical environment of Reading by improving air quality, access to green space, and the quality of public spaces. 
• Deliver major changes to our waste and recycling service to ensure compliance with new legislation. 

Priority 4: Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children 

• Reduce the number of children in care and the number of children in residential care. 
• Improve our local Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) offer and support education settings to develop inclusive practice, so children receive high quality education locally, and achieve their potential. 
• Support those who need social care services to live as independently as possible in a place they call home with improved wellbeing. 
• Improve our offer for unpaid Carers, ensuring they are supported to live well and can sustain their caring role. 
• Work with our partners in health and the voluntary sector to provide support solutions for those with complex health and social care needs to improve outcomes. 

Priority 5: Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future 

• Deliver good, accessible services for our customers. 
• Invest in technology that is secure and helps deliver effective services. 
• Use procurement of goods and services to secure greater social value and spend locally. 
• Bring Brighter Futures for Children (Children’s Services) back to the council. 
• Be a fair employer with an attractive and competitive offer and a workforce that is representative of the local community.