Hundreds are given help with housing
MORE than 600 people were helped into new homes last year, according to figures released by West Lancashire Borough Council’s housing and inclusion service.
Local residents can now examine the work of the department in its Housing Annual Report, which details what the service has achieved over the previous 12 months.
This year, the report is presented as a graphic and can be found at www.west lancs.gov.uk/har
Cllr Jenny Patterson, portfolio holder for housing and landlord services, said: “The housing and inclusion service staff can be very proud of the work they do and this report contains many facts and figures that tenants will be very interested in.
“The service continues to provide excellent value for money through our partnerships and tendering processes by ensuring we get the best quality at the best price.”
The council provides more than 6,000 homes for tenants.
Working to deliver housing that meets the needs of local people, including affordable housing, and aiming to be a top performing landlord are named as important priorities in the borough’s council plan.
The Housing Annual Report highlights a number of achievements for 2015/16. These include: Helping 613 tenants into new homes. Installing solar panels in 588 council properties, saving tenants money on their energy bills.
Saving £500,000 by improving how the department works and saving on costs.
Supporting 2,000 tenants by providing rent and money advice.
The annual report also tells tenants how much rent was collected in the course of 2015/16 and how their rent is spent.
There is information on how many homes received repairs to bathrooms, kitchens and heating and the total amount all the repairs cost.
Other work highlighted includes the management of people’s tenancies, including visits to new tenants and inspection of communal areas.