Croydon Council's Housing Assurance Board (HAB) is actively seeking a new independent member with expertise in asset management and repairs to join its ranks. The board discussed this vacancy during its meeting on Monday, April 13, 2026.
The HAB convenes to oversee a range of housing-related matters. The board noted the vacancy for an independent member with asset management and repairs experience, encouraging anyone with suitable candidates to come forward.
The current composition of the HAB includes a Chair (Eamon McGoldrick), statutory deputy mayor and cabinet member for homes (Councillor Lynne Hale), deputy cabinet member for customer service (Councillor Lara Fish), shadow cabinet member for homes (Councillor Chrishni Reshekaron), a lockdown change and improvement officer for housing, an independent board member, a partner in court with social care, Councillor Stuart King (substitute), Sam Chung (Director of Adult Social Care Operations), Dave Mundy (Police Holder), Leslie Parry, Gillian Douglas (independent member), Pat West (Director of Assets and Repairs), Alexa Merkroyd, and Kyle Vastrzysk. Areas of expertise represented on the board include social care, assets and repairs, policy management, and resident representation.
The need for an independent member with asset management and repairs experience comes at a time when the board is grappling with several key challenges. These include increasing sickness levels within the accounting department impacting productivity and a significant rise in the average turnaround time for voids, which has now reached 55 days. To address this, a plan is in motion to consolidate void management, improve contractor efficiency, and refine allocation processes. The board also highlighted the complexities of retrofitting adaptations compared to integrating them into new builds, and the potential use of Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) for extensions to accommodate mobility scooters.
The process for nominating and selecting candidates for this independent position was briefly touched upon. A board member stated, If anybody knows of anybody who you think could fit that bill, please let me know. Otherwise, we will go back out to do a.
This suggests that nominations can be put forward by existing board members, and if no suitable candidates emerge, a public recruitment process will be initiated. However, the full details of the selection process were not elaborated upon.
Further details on housing performance and related matters can be found in the Housing Overview Performance April 2026 report and the HAB Performance Report April 2026.
