Housing and Property Services

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Mary Crearie - Director of Housing and Property Services

The Director of Housing and Property Services is responsible for the delivery of a wide range of people and property related services throughout Renfrewshire. Her responsibilities fall into three main categories:

Strategic services - the planning and development of housing provision and support to Renfrewshire residents.

Landlord services - the efficient and effective management of around 14,000 council houses.

• Finance and support services
• Housing services
• Investment and technical services

The Head of Finance and Asset Management has three key managerial responsibilities:

• Building Services
• Asset Management
• Finance and Support Services

• Repair and maintenance of council housing.
• Repair and maintenance of public buildings.
• Stair and close lighting repairs.
• Graffiti removal.

• Developing and delivering the corporate asset management strategy.
• Maximising capital receipts from the disposal of land and property which is surplus to the council's requirements.
• Maximising rental income from commercial and industrial properties owned by the council.
• Providing professional advice on property and valuation related matters.
• Conducting the council's 5 yearly revaluation of property assets.

• Providing managers throughout the department with information, support and assistance in relation to all budgeting and other financial matters.
• Providing administrative support to managers throughout the department.
• Ensuring the procurement of goods and services is properly managed with financial budgets met.
• Ensuring ITC needs are addresses, and agreed electronic service delivery targets met.

The Head of Housing Services has responsibility for four sections.

• Housing Services
• Homelessness and Community Services
• Housing Strategy and Quality
• Housing Investment

• Effectively maintaining housing waiting lists, and ensuring that available houses are let quickly and efficiently to minimise the loss of rental income.
• Allocating council houses and nominating applicants to housing associations.
• Providing effective and best practice estate management services.
• Providing support to help vulnerable tenants sustain their tenancies.
• Reducing the amount of rent arrears and former tenant arrears owed.

• Providing specialist services including providing advice and support to homeless or potentially homeless people - including arranging temporary and permanent re-housing.
• Providing housing support to residents of council owned sheltered housing complexes.
• Providing caretaking and concierge services within multu-storey and other flatted developments.
• Providing an effective mediation service for residents in dispute with their neighbours to help create a more peaceful living environment within our communities.
• Providing specialist services to address serious anti-social behaviour problems across all tenures.

• Assessing future needs and ensuring that, as far as is reasonably practicable, appropriate provision is made to address them.
• Supporting the development of policies and procedures required to deliver the department's statutory requirements.
• Supporting the formation and operation of representative tenants' and residents' groups, liaising with them to ensure that our services meet their members' current and future needs, and supporting bids for external funding.
• Monitoring and reporting on departmental performance.
• Promoting quality initiatives across the department.

• Developing and delivering a Private Sector Housing Strategy - including a scheme of assistance for owners and coordinating the council's role within care and repair.
• Administering grants for owners and managing accounts for owners involved in common works.
• Developing and enhancing advice services for owners.
• Developing and establishing proactive management services for owners of former council stock based to reduce levels of disrepair in common blocks.
• Delivering services related to the attainment of the Scottish Housing Quality Standards by 2015, and maintaining the stock at that level thereafter.
• Planning improvements to estates through multi agency Area Development Frameworks and Estate Management Agreements.

The Head of Investment and Technical Services is responsible for all technical matters relating to the strategic advice on investment and building related matters and an effective and innovative building design and contract management service.

The Head of Investment and Technical Services manages a division providing a range of specialist services to council departments.

• Ensuring that public buildings comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act by being accessible to persons with disabilities.
• Ensuring that appropriate environmental and sustainability considerations form an integral part of all council funded construction projects.
• Implementing the council's strategic investment plan on behalf of client departments.
• Developing 'lifetime investment' profiles for properties to inform the council's Asset Management Strategy and Plan
• Providing technical information in support of bids for Lottery grants and other external funding of projects.
• Reducing CO2 emissions and reducing fuel poverty by promoting energy efficiency across all tenures (by the direct provision of advice and assistance, and by securing funding from a variety of sources to make physical improvements to properties)>