Council Cracks Down on Lingering Lincolnshire Dwellings

North Kesteven District Council is set to redouble its efforts in making vacant council homes habitable and available more swiftly for new tenants. The council has been grappling with significant delays in rehousing due to a myriad of issues including staff shortage, high staff turnover, and unresolved issues left by the previous contractor. The current bottleneck has led to an elongated average interval of 45 days between tenant changeovers, a steep rise from the 20-day average in 2019. Consequently, hopeful residents on the housing waiting list have been left in limbo for longer periods. The council reported in November that the accumulation of 2,000 pending repairs was gradually reducing, with hopes of the new contractor catching up soon. However, a fresh report indicates that more drastic action is required. An upcoming meeting will deliberate on strategies to expedite the availability of homes. The council, faced with an increasing number of vacated properties and new legislation demanding more time and resources, has faced substantial challenges in managing these ‘voids’. The report recommends the establishment of a ‘Task and Finish’ group to delve into the details of the current challenges and propose improvements to performance and customer experience. This group would comprise tenants, councillors, and officers, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand and potential solutions. With private rents skyrocketing beyond income or benefits, housing waiting lists have become a pressing issue for councils. In response, the government is putting a halt to the Right To Buy scheme to curb the annual loss of homes from local authorities.