Audit Commission seeks efficiency ideas

The initiative forms part of the ODPM plan to make efficiency savings of £1.6bn, cash it has pledged to recycle into social housebuilding.

The Housing Efficiency Project for Management and Maintenance will evaluate existing systems across the sector in order to develop best practice.

Local authorities and housing associations will be invited to contribute ideas to an Audit Commission website.

The project will be overseen by a panel of tenants and housing sector representatives.

Among the ideas already submitted are housing “MOTs” where tenants are rewarded for keeping their houses well maintained (HT 12 November, page 12).

Nick Atkin, Audit Commission head of housing (North), said: “Delivering the efficiency agenda is a challenge – most in the housing sector are willing but many are not sure about how to do it. We want to identify efficiencies that are working and also other innovative, off-the-wall, ideas.”