NEWS STORY: DECEMBER 2007

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Keeping our promises: your end-of-year report!

picture of a staff member talking to a tenant Parkway's progress: we're delivering the promises we made to you before the transfer

We made clear promises to our tenants when you voted for us to take over and improve homes and housing services in October 2006.

As 2007 ends, it's a good time to look back at what we promised, check that we're making the grade, and give you our new year's resolution to keep delivering and improving throughout 2008.

Here's a reminder of some of our promises; and how we're doing so far . . .

We said: "In the first five years, we'll spend £90m improving and modernising every home."

We started home improvements on day one. We've already done over 2,000 homes. Everyone has been given our handbook 'How we are improving homes', and this website gives you a street-by-street guide to what's being done, when.

We said: "We won't let service standards slip; we'll continually review them and keep your housing service locally-based."

We've maintained and improved services in many ways. We've extended opening hours and offer late night Thursday appointments. Tenants are involved in reviewing and improving our services.

We said: "Rents won't be affected by the transfer and all payment methods will remain available - as will the low-cost tenants’ insurance scheme."

Your rent has not gone up any more than if you had stayed with the council, and we’re going to add an extra convenient way to pay rent - by direct debit. The popular insurance scheme for your household things is still going strong.

We said: "We'll encourage tenant involvement in decision-making."

Five volunteer residents share equal decision-making power on our decision-making board, along with council-nominated and independent colleagues. Our far-reaching resident involvement strategy supports a tenants and residents' committee whose ideas and recommendations influence everything our staff and board do. We keep tenants regularly updated on a choice of ways to get involved and have a say.

We said: "We're more than just a not-for-profit landlord, we’ll play a role in the area’s wider regeneration."

As well as bringing you quality homes and top-notch housing services, we’re helping build a safer, healthier environment. We want thriving local communities with brighter futures; where there are more job and training opportunities, and better facilities for young and old alike. We work with young people and have developed close links with schools. See Faces & Places.

We said: "We'll help make our communities stronger, healthier and fit for the future.”

We tackle the problems caused by those who don't share our values of mutual respect and pride in our communities. Our neighbour nuisance team help the decent majority challenge and change the behaviour of those who would harm the peace and enjoyment of others. We work with other agencies to reduce crime and disorder; we jointly fund a youth intervention officer and have police community support officers based in our own offices.

Find out more about our first year of progress in our annual report.