Member Article

Tenants give Bernicia top marks

Nine out of ten tenants are satisfied with the overall services provided by North East housing association Bernicia, new data reveals.

The survey sent to 7,000 tenants also found that 89% of people are happy with the quality of their home and rated the amount they paid in rent as value for money.

Bernicia commissioned BMG Research to seek tenants’ views on a range of service areas, including satisfaction with repairs and maintenance and the quality of their neighbourhood as a place to live.

The tenant satisfaction survey is the largest commissioned by Bernicia for four years and is an important benchmark for the housing association as it embarks on a £200m investment programme into new and existing properties.

Bernicia aims to build 600 new homes and pump £60m into improving its existing 14,000 properties by 2023.

The survey headlines are:

• 90% of tenants happy with the overall service provided by Bernicia, matching the figure achieved in the last survey

• 87% of people are happy with the repairs service, compared to 85% four years ago

• 89% of those responding to the survey confirmed their rent is value for money – up from 83%

• 89% are satisfied with the quality of their home

• 88% are happy with their neighbourhood as a place to live

Jeannie McMillan, Bernicia Director of Housing Services, said: “We are delighted that our latest survey results show 90% overall satisfaction with the services we provide.

“This headline figure and other great survey results are testament to the dedication and commitment of our fantastic staff.

“It’s so important for us to know if we are delivering on our commitments and providing the range and quality of services important to tenants as we invest £200m into properties and communities.

“Much has changed since our last survey – a business merger, the deepening impact of austerity and welfare reform and pressure on public sector budgets.

“Despite these challenges, the results we have achieved show that our staff deliver the range and quality of services that our tenants expect.

“We are looking closely at the results as we know we can do even better. The survey has shown us where we need to direct our resources to ensure that quality of service continues to excel.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Gordon Arnott .