Executive Summary - HRA Asset Management Plan
Our Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Asset Management Strategy sets out how we will have in place a range of well-planned strategic and operational asset management practices that are informed by the range of national drivers for asset management for social housing providers, within our local Oxford context. It represents a ‘step-change’ in our approach, to one where planned works programmes are made based on reliable up to date data, led and underpinned by a stronger approach to governance and decision making. The strategy links with other key strategic documents including the Council’s Corporate Plan and HRA Business Plan, forming a clear, joined up approach to looking after and investing in the HRA assets. The Strategy runs for three years and is designed to lay the foundations for a fully developed Asset Management Strategy from 2028.
The Strategy covers all repair and maintenance activities, including keeping homes safe, updating, improving, and investing in homes and estates so we provide good quality accommodation where people want to live. It also includes future facing issues such as energy efficiency works, and modernising and regenerating homes and estates, with a focus on the evolving needs of residents.
The Strategy is built around a suite of six priority actions. These address the key challenges we face:
- Responding to increasing levels of regulation to ensure homes are safe and well maintained.
- Providing homes for a net zero carbon future.
- The need to strengthen the tenant voice in decision-making.
- The need to maximise the resources of the HRA for investing wisely in the existing homes, whilst also funding much needed new additional homes.
- Ensuring systems and processes, policies, procedures and structures support efficient and effective service delivery, with good procurement and contact management used to deliver better quality services at a lower cost.
- The need to provide well-managed and well-maintained estates, with good quality green space, external and internal communal areas.
By building the governance and foundations for effective asset management, we will manage and minimise the risk implications for the Council, tenants and others of not managing homes effectively, helping us meet the regulatory requirements set out in the published Consumer Standards for social housing landlords.
Summary of our headline actions
1. Ensuring every voice matters
We need to:
- Engage, listen and learn, acting on what people say.
- Offer genuine involvement and input when making decisions, developing policies, and designing services.
- Communicate in an open, honest and respectful way, listening and learning from tenants’ feedback and complaints.
2. Establishing the right governance arrangements for effective decision making
- Engage, listen and learn, acting on what people say.
- Offer genuine involvement and input when making decisions, developing policies, and designing services.
- Communicate in an open, honest and respectful way, listening and learning from tenants’ feedback and complaints.
We need to:
- Improve our governance, using quality data to make well- informed decisions on our future services and plans, with a clear strategic vision and delivery actions that have buy-in.
- Fully understand the condition and performance of our homes so we invest wisely.
3. Providing great homes that are fit for the futureWe need to:
- We need to deliver a great repair service, tackling damp, mould and disrepair issues quickly, demonstrating and providing assurance that we are keeping homes safe and in good condition.
- We need to look to the future when making decisions on future investment, so the quality of our homes improves.
4. Working towards a net zero carbon future
We need to:
- Ensure all homes meet EPC Band C by 2030.
- Plan for meeting the Council’s ambition for Oxford to be ‘net zero carbon’ city by 2040.
- Invest carefully in retrofit measures, so resources are spent wisely, ensuring a ‘no regrets’ approach to investment.
5. Supporting thriving places and communities
We need to:
- Work with residents and partners to create thriving places where people want to live, work and play.
- Provide well-managed and well-maintained estates, with good quality green space, external and internal communal areas.
6. Delivering an efficient and well-run service
We need to:
- Use resources carefully, driving continuous improvement by having efficient and effective systems and performance management.
- Use good procurement and contact management at all stages to deliver better quality services at a lower cost.
All our actions will be driven, reviewed, measured and monitored by a new HRA Asset Management Plan Delivery Group.
