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Housing is on the mend
BROMSGROVE'S housing services have gone from a zero rating to "fair" according to the latest audit commission report.
The government watchdog also said that the service has promising prospects for improvement' compared to an inspection in 2006, when housing services were poor.
The commissioners have now found that it is easy for people to get housing advice, and services were accessible to people who have a disability.
More new affordable homes were being built and fewer people were becoming homeless. As a result, Bromsgrove District Council is in a stronger position to meet the district's housing needs.
| "“The council has worked hard to tackle the weaknesses identified in the 2006 inspection. It has invested in key areas to make improvements and the quality of service for customers has improved as a result. " | | A spokesman for the West Midlands Audit Commission |
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A spokesman for the West Midlands Audit Commission said: "The council has worked hard to tackle the weaknesses identified in the 2006 inspection. It has invested in key areas to make improvements and the quality of service for customers has improved as a result.
"There is a real focus making things even better, which is why we have said that there are promising prospects for improvement."
Recommendations for further improvement include removing any barriers to accessing services so that they are delivered fairly to all parts of the community, ensuring that key planning documents are completed and available to guide future work, addressing gaps in knowledge about the cost of services and how they compare with other councils in terms of performance and satisfaction.
All this is the responsibility of the council's strategic housing team to develop strategies for housing and homelessness. Its role focuses on monitoring and improving the provision, supply, adaptation and standard of housing within the district. The council transferred its housing stock to Bromsgrove District Housing Trust, which was set up for this purpose, in 2004.
7:32am Saturday 17th May 2008
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