06 March 2009
By Paul Dicken
Housing associations in Wales are failing to meet many of the regulatory standards set out by the Welsh Assembly Government, the audit watchdog has said.
In a report, The lessons from inspection, the Wales Audit Office reviewed the inspections it had carried out on the 29 largest registered social landlords since 2005. It found 50 examples of RSLs failing to meet core expectations in the WAG’s regulatory code.
Many associations had not met milestones of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, the report said. Compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act was weak and auditors found ‘a range of weaknesses in policy documentation, public information and monitoring’.
In addition, self-assessment of performance had been unreliable and ‘there was evidence to suggest that a number of associations’ had taken action to comply with the requirements only immediately prior to auditors’ visits.
Overall, RSLs were providing ‘satisfactory’ or better housing and were also performing satisfactorily or better in relation to rents.
Welsh ministers want to reform affordable housing in Wales following a review last year led by former Assembly Member and finance minister Sue Essex.
The WAO report criticised the current regulatory system saying it did ‘not provide clear criteria against which to judge the quality of services’.
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