Fall in complaints about Shropshire council tenants
The number of anti-social behaviour complaints involving council tenants in Shropshire fell in the past 12 months – although two still had to be evicted for their behaviour, new figures have revealed.
Ten tenants were also thrown out after falling behind with their rent, Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing said.
Bosses at the housing group said in the last financial year Shropshire Council Landlord Services dealt with 105 complaints of anti-social behaviour, which is a fall from 159 in 2011/12.
Eighty-four of the complaints were resolved, two tenants were evicted and 21 cases are still under investigation.
The figures have been released in the first annual report of the group which reports on the performance of Shropshire Council Landlord Services from April 2012 to March this year.
Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing took over the running of about 4,200 council homes in Oswestry and Bridgnorth from the local authority in April.
The annual report said: "We don't tolerate anti-social behaviour and take all complaints seriously. We work with other landlords, the police and local partners to ensure our communities are safe places, where people want to live.
"We implemented an anti-social behaviour policy in partnership with other social landlords in Shropshire so that there is a consistent approach across all areas in respect of those who cause problems for other residents. Neighbourhood housing officers regularly visit estates and neighbourhoods visiting individual tenants and arranging area walkabouts where local residents, councillors and other agencies are able to tell us about the issues that are affecting the area."
The annual report also revealed that a total of £15,618,197 had been collected in rent in 2012/13 although the level of rent debt had increased.
The current rent debt stands at £221,580. The former rent debt was £170,376. The percentage of rent collected stands at 98.1 per cent and 10 tenants had to be evicted for rent debt in 2012/13.
The report says: "One of the main challenges this year has been ensuring collection rates were maintained as in previous years. This was more challenging as we are taking part in a national project where some of our tenants' housing benefit is paid directly to them rather than the rent being paid directly to the landlord.
"The income teams are supporting those invol-ved in the direct payment project and working closely with tenants and other agencies to ensure income collected is maintained and that support mechanisms are in place for those who have found this new method of rent payment difficult."
It added: "We have also employed an additional member of staff to assist with collection of rent."
