A PLAN which would have seen rental properties owned by the West End Development Corporation completely refurbished did not go ahead because most tenants baulked at the idea of an increased rent.

However, a recent restructuring of the organisation should see repairs to the more than 200 residential properties the Corporation owns tackled more efficiently than in the past, said Wedco general manager Lloyd Telford yesterday.

"Clearly (the problems) we have are issues of resources," explained Mr. Telford. "The West End Development Corporation is a management company. We do not and will not anticipate having a large workforce.

"We will always need to work within the parameters of a typical business environment which means we have budgets. With regards specifically to people's concerns, it boils down in most cases to resources; it boils down to (our) budget for that unit for that year.

"What is important, is that (we have) the right people; people able to perform processes through our policies ? which clearly provide guidelines. Within that context, we have finished the first phase. We have reorganised the organisation and we are starting to fill the spaces with people who are competent and energetic and who share our vision."

The Government quango has made headlines several times recently. Tenants complained that requests for home repairs received slow response and with broken windows, destroyed ceilings and roofs suffered in Hurricane Fabian, the situations at some houses soon became unbearable.

Yesterday, Mr. Telford freely described some of the Corporation's properties as being in "desperate need of work".

However, the extent of repair was a determination that had been left to tenants, he said. Most had refused to sign on with Wedco's Rental Upgrade Programme ? a plan which would enable a complete refurbishment of their homes and which generously enabled a gradual increase of rent spread over a period of years.

"For us to do the job properly, we have to go in and completely renovate," he said. "So I'm now going to put $50,000 into your unit ? a new kitchen, new bathrooms, upgrade the flooring, staircase, new electricals, new plumbing. You now have fundamentally a new unit and your rent is $700. It has to go up to $1,200, $1,500, which is still below the open market. Wedco is not an ogre. We still have a social conscience.

"If we fix your ceiling and don't have an understanding of why it leaked in the first place, we have to come back in six months' time to fix it again.

"We are doing a new leasing exercise and within that every person who has a lease with us will sign off and we'll start to be able to upgrade our records and assess our ability to (address) their concerns.

"What you're looking at is the opposite of the rental upgrade programme. The band-aid approach does have a life, but it doesn't speak, in my opinion, to the situation. What it all means is that while we might have a vision, what we're dealing with are people."

Tenants in Wedco properties pay anywhere between $640 and $2,500 a month in rent, with those at the lower end of the scale "representative of the units that are seriously challenged", he added. Responsible for their upkeep is a maintenance staff of 15, of whom more than half are solely responsible for landscaping.

"I don't think it is within our means for things to happen as quickly, or in (what I would consider to be the) best-case scenario," the general manager said. "What has to change, and I've been here three years, are some structural elements of how we do our business. And we are in the process of addressing that."

Complaints are attended to as quickly as possible, Mr. Telford believes. Part of the reason behind tenant complaints is that each expects repairs to be done according to their schedule.

"I'll have someone who'll call up and say the fire detector is beeping. Then I'll have someone call up and say the toilet's backing up. Which one is really critical? I cannot sit here and tell you that every complaint is seen as a major catastrophe. I don't see it like that.

"Does the pipe get fixed any quicker because the headline says, 'Wedco's pipe is broken'? In my opinion, no it doesn't. This sort of negative publicity simply stifles a community from growing. The reality is that the more businesses we bring into this environment, the more potential jobs we create. The more businesses and services that come into the area, the higher the level of quality of life for the immediate neighbourhood."

While Wedco has been blamed for the backlog of work caused to tenants' homes by Hurricane Fabian, Mr. Telford said that in this case, his employees were not at fault. Repairs could not be effected until the insurance process was complete.

"The reality of life is we have maybe 800 properties that belong to Government and only have 'x number' of surveyors. As of last week, we found out the overall storm assessment. Our priority listing was acknowledged, and Government surveyors are now performing their due diligence."

Moving forward, he said, the group is to enact a tenant grievance procedure ? something the general manager admitted was long overdue. And that despite recent problems, the West End was headed towards success.

"(It) will essentially follow guidelines so that everyone knows who to contact, what's the process and what are the supposed ramifications. Is this something that should have been done six months ago? Yes. A year ago? Yes. Better still, ten years ago then I wouldn't have to be doing it.

"We are clearly succeeding because if we had not started this path we would still be a barren and desolate site. (As to what the residents would say), I think it would be best that you speak to them and get a clear indication of how they see life. When one provides this type of environment, one clearly recognises in terms of successes, that you have setbacks ? normal, reasonable everyday setbacks.

"If the pipe breaks I can't lose any sleep if the pipe's broken. What I do lose sleep (over) is if I don't get it fixed in a timely way. (But) the frustration that they have, I share it."