H o u s i n g
Incoherent A
s I prepare to handover the Housing baton, I do so with an element of satisfaction
and sadness. My first day was greeted with a Housing feature on BBC ‘News at Ten’, my second witnessed damning newspaper headlines, all underpinned with a less than complimentary National Audit Office Report highlighting thousands of void properties across the UK, a bill for Substitute SFA spiralling out of control, an under-performing maintenance contractor (MHS) and immense frustration amongst Service families. Oh, and insufficient funding. No pressure!
However, a firm focus on asset management (assessing and recording location, condition and strategic need of all stock), improved control over allocations, together with immediate and robust management of the Housing Prime Contract, have provided a much needed and well-overdue breakthrough. Moreover, we have seen improvements to the provision and cleanliness of SFA which continues to be a top priority.
Having lived in Service housing for over 26 years and endured 17 moves, the litmus test of a good housing service has to be the Move-in process. I vividly recall my first experience of a HIC and it was not inspiring. My husband
MULTI-COLOURED CARPETS…
As Air Commodore Elaine West prepares to hand over her job as Defence Estates Housing Operations Director she provides an overview of her two year tour in this demanding role
was in Afghanistan, my six year-old was to be re-schooled, there was no available SFA at the new unit, and I was left to drive around the patch until I found an empty house. And I was not alone, with many families experiencing a similar level of dissatisfaction.
So, in an attempt to improve the housing service, ‘Patch Management’ was introduced with key personnel allocated to specific SFA areas with empowerment to match. As a result, Move-in standards across the UK have dramatically improved and, as I write, we are seeing a success rate of circa 90% compared to between 30-40% throughout 2009. YES, there are still areas that require significant improvement; YES, the 10% of families that do not meet the success criteria deserve better; and, YES, we would all like to see more funding available. But the recent improvements ARE making a significant difference on the ground. I am also acutely aware that Housing’s reputation is only as good as the last telephone call to the MHS Help Desk, so we cannot afford to be complacent and the current surge in improvements MUST be sustained.
But I have also had the opportunity to witness a side of Housing that most do not see. The refusal to occupy a modernised property because the rent is higher, verbal abuse to HIC staff for issues outside their control, and a disturbing number of occupants that selfishly remain in their SFA despite being
posted, thereby disadvantaging another family and often forcing unaccompanied service. Further, the number of families who fail to book a Move-out or clean their SFA on leaving the Service is frustrating, together with those who fail to notify the HIC when posted, but wait until the end of the school term before pressurising the system into allocating a property before the start of the next term.
In closing, I take no credit for the recent improvements, given that it has been a true team effort from my own staffs, Community Support, Centre policy teams, and the good work of the Services Family Federations. Defence Estates too has fought hard to ensure that funding for Service accommodation remains at the very top of the MoD agenda. And while there is still a great deal left to do, I am able to claim one small victory for the Service wife, and here I include myself. The days of incoherent multi-coloured carpets are now firmly behind us – Natural is the new Housing Black! Terracotta Tan, Rust, Peacock Blue and Forest Green (often all in the same house!) are now being replaced by natural tones for a neutral, clean
look...that is until another group of men are let loose with a pattern book and decide otherwise...
Tested your heating yet? M 28
ost people start switching on their heating in October or
November, but as your heating system hasn’t been used for a while, some customers will discover that their heating systems are not functioning correctly. For that reason, Defence Estates strongly recommends that
Autumn 2010
customers should test run their heating systems before Winter sets in – ideally in September. Testing your heating means that you can give MODern Housing Solutions (MHS) sufficient time to fix any problems that may have arisen, before the colder weather strikes. It also helps avoid a log-jam
of jobs with MHS in the first week of November, just when customers will want their systems working properly.
So please, test run your heating system for 24 hours, check it for function, leaks, or other problems and if there are any issues, let the MHS Helpdesk know on 0800 707 6000.
www.raf-ff.org.uk
Now is the time…
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