Westminster Community Homes (WCH) has fallen short of resident satisfaction targets, according to a performance review presented at the Shareholder Committee meeting on 17 July 2025. Overall resident satisfaction with landlord services was reported at 71%, significantly below the target of 85%.

The committee, comprised of Councillors Liza Begum (Cabinet Member for Housing Services), David Boothroyd (Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform), Adam Hug (Leader of the Council), and Ellie Ormsby (Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters and Armed Forces Champion), reviewed the end-of-year performance for 2024/25 for WCH.

Satisfaction with the overall repair service was also low, at 51%. However, the report highlighted that 85% of non-emergency repairs and 99% of emergency repairs were completed on time. Rent arrears ended the year at 7%, against a target of 3%. The Westminster Community Homes July 2025 Report also noted 100% compliance in all Health and Safety areas and that 100% of all complaints were dealt with on time for Quarter 4.

WCH is predicting an operating deficit of £0.534m for the year ending 2024/25, which incorporates £0.939m of one-off costs relating to the Stock Refresh Programme. However, this is an improvement of £1.380m from 2023/24, where a £1.9m deficit was reported.

During the year, WCH sold two properties, a part share in a shared ownership property which resulted in a slight loss of £0.011m, and a full sale of a further property which resulted in a profit of £0.162m. They also purchased 12 properties totalling £7.716m for the Church Street regeneration site and the Ebury site.

The board approved a baseline interim strategy and operational management plan for the year 2024/25, based on four strategic pillars:

  • Be an outstanding Landlord by doing the basics brilliantly.
  • Regeneration- Making it Happen.
  • Provide more Homes and remain financially strong.
  • Support WCC by maximising RP status.

Key elements of delivery during the year include:

  • Delivering an EPC rating of C or above for 86% of all applicable homes.
  • Reduced the number of repair orders in progress form 250- 50.
  • Improved financial reporting to enable profitability by tenure and service to be monitored.
  • Improved oversight of health and safety compliance and partnership working with WCC
  • Delivering 100% Decent Homes compliance for all applicable homes.
  • Investing c£2m in our Healthy Homes programme to ensure all our homes are free from hazard, outstanding repairs are completed and are decent homes compliant. The Healthy Homes programme aims to ensure homes are free from hazards and that outstanding repairs are completed.
  • Supporting the Regeneration activity at Church Street and Ebury Estates.
  • Supporting Corporate Property manage short term property interests.
  • Secured £4.5mm of GLA grant to support the MOT yard development at Harrow Road.
  • Completed demolition of the former MOT yard to enable construction works.
  • Supported WCC deliver schools breakfast clubs by providing £45k of funding.

A revised service level agreement (SLA) between Westminster City Council (WCC) and WCH for housing services has been negotiated, with the aim of ensuring a full cost recovery model, KPI standards that align with existing WCC standards, a reflection on the requirements of an independent RP, standards that reflect the strategic ambition of the Board and customer expectations, and a commercial approach to contract monitoring. Progress on outlining the service standards required from WCH have been presented to officers who have responded accordingly with a revised operating model and cost envelope which increases the annual fee from £260k to £511k.