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Housing Executive owed £21m rent | Housing Executive owed £21m rent |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The Housing Executive in Northern Ireland is owed nearly £21m in rent arrears, according to a report by the assembly's Public Accounts Committee. | The Housing Executive in Northern Ireland is owed nearly £21m in rent arrears, according to a report by the assembly's Public Accounts Committee. |
The report criticised the Housing Executive's performance and said there were clear deficiencies in the body. | The report criticised the Housing Executive's performance and said there were clear deficiencies in the body. |
Chairman Paul Maskey said its failure to collect rental income had "serious implications" for social housing. | Chairman Paul Maskey said its failure to collect rental income had "serious implications" for social housing. |
He said that without this income, the executive may not be able to provide essential services to their tenants. | He said that without this income, the executive may not be able to provide essential services to their tenants. |
"We found that the NIHE has been very slow to introduce measures designed to maximise rental income," Mr Maskey said. | "We found that the NIHE has been very slow to introduce measures designed to maximise rental income," Mr Maskey said. |
"For example, a direct debit facility will not be in place for rent payments until 2010." | "For example, a direct debit facility will not be in place for rent payments until 2010." |
The Executive's Assistant Director of Housing Regeneration, Helen Walker, said it had evicted 49 people in the past year but only as a "last resort". | |
"I would like to remind all tenants that there is the Christmas period coming up," she said. | |
"This is the time when our tenants struggle and we will be contacting them about their arrears. | |
"(Eviction) is a last case scenario. Most of those individuals were single people who were unable or unwilling to come to arrangements with us." | |
Corporate targets | Corporate targets |
The report also said that only one of the executive's 73 corporate targets were in relation to rent arrears. | The report also said that only one of the executive's 73 corporate targets were in relation to rent arrears. |
It said this target "simply required that the overall level of arrears did not deteriorate year-on-year" and found that the executive had only met this in the five years up to March 2007 because it had written off £10.6m of rental debt. | It said this target "simply required that the overall level of arrears did not deteriorate year-on-year" and found that the executive had only met this in the five years up to March 2007 because it had written off £10.6m of rental debt. |
The report said the executive needed more comprehensive performance reporting and a more stretching set of corporate targets in relation to rent arrears. | The report said the executive needed more comprehensive performance reporting and a more stretching set of corporate targets in relation to rent arrears. |
"When examined against a broader range of relevant indicators, deficiencies in NIHE's performance can clearly be seen," it added. | "When examined against a broader range of relevant indicators, deficiencies in NIHE's performance can clearly be seen," it added. |
"This underlines the need for more comprehensive performance reporting and a more stretching set of corporate targets in this area." | "This underlines the need for more comprehensive performance reporting and a more stretching set of corporate targets in this area." |
Mr Maskey said: "Until recently, the Department for Social Development's oversight of housing associations has been weak. | Mr Maskey said: "Until recently, the Department for Social Development's oversight of housing associations has been weak. |
"More recently, the department has made progress in improving its regulatory activities. | "More recently, the department has made progress in improving its regulatory activities. |
"However, it must do more to share information and to identify and promote best practice developments across the whole social housing sector." | "However, it must do more to share information and to identify and promote best practice developments across the whole social housing sector." |
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