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Tenure : There are around 4,500 homes within Castle Vale, 63% are rented and 37% are in owner occupation. CVCHA owns the majority of the rented homes, with less than 50 owned by other housing associations, the local authority or through private renting. Almost all of the rented stock is in a very good condition as it has been either built or refurbished within the last 8 years.

Owner occupation : The picture with private owner-occupied stock is more mixed. There are two areas within the estate that have been developed for outright ownership and there are a significant number of homes that were previously local authority properties and bought under the right to buy. Over half of owner occupiers within the estate are over 60 and half the owner occupiers are also reliant on state benefits. The average weekly income for owner occupiers is £264. There is a lack of data regarding the quality of stock within the owner occupier sector. With respect to energy efficiency the situation is unclear.

Rented accommodation : The demand for rented accommodation is very high. There are currently over 500 people on the waiting list. The shortest waiting time is around 4 years for one bed roomed flats and this increases up to 100 years for some types of family housing. CVCHA closed the waiting list in September 2004 and with this current demand there is little scope for the waiting list to re-open within the foreseeable future as there is now no land designated for new housing.

The rented housing stock was developed or refurbished with energy efficiency as a priority. Generally the rented stock is energy efficient which is indicated by a high SAP rating. There have also been initiatives within some new build developments to use solar power, high efficiency boilers and water reduction measures. 99% of the stock already meets the decent homes standard.

The housing management standards operated within the rented sector with CVCHA is general effective. CVCHA compares favourably with comparable housing associations in terms of management and maintenance.

House prices: House prices within Castle Vale have increased in line with the national market changes and the average house is now valued at £130,000. With low average incomes within Castle Vale few people can aspire to owner occupation. This situation is echoed by the low level of right to buy sales made by CVCHA. In the year September 2004 - September 2005 only 10 properties were acquired through the right to buy which is significantly lower than the national average. This indicates a risk that there will be a lack of suitable accommodation for Castle Vale residents which will lead to overcrowding as emerging families are not able to access their own home. The health and social implications of this can be significant.

With a high number of elderly people living on the estate, providing housing that will continue to meet their needs will be important. The Black, and Minority Ethnic (BME) population in Castle Vale is low, future policies and services need to be mindful of the needs of BME groups to ensure that the estate is welcoming to such communities and is able to meet their specific needs.

The condition of the rented housing predominantly owned by CVCHA is generally very good. The establishment of CVCHA should provide sufficient funds for long term reinvestment in the stock but further work is needed to develop a major repairs/asset management strategy.

There is generally a lack of knowledge in the owner occupied sector to be clear of the priorities. However, where data is available, this is indicating concerns that a significant proportion of owner occupiers are elderly and on a low income which may mean they are not able to invest in their homes to maintain them to a decent standard.

There is a limited understanding of the energy efficiency agenda and again further research and development is required around this area.

There is a limited understanding of long-term housing demand within Castle Vale and the implications of increased house prices and the very high demand for rented accommodation.

Generally, CVCHA is providing a good housing management service to the rented housing stock but further development is required against the background that there is now no land designated for housing development.

Policies and services that have regard to the needs of elderly people and BME communities are important for the future sustainability of the estate

Contact for more information: Steve Clayton, Castle Vale Neighbourhood Manager