Homes for Haringey accelerates its decent homes programme

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Up to 300 homes will be brought up to the Decent Homes standard a year early, after Homes for Haringey succeeded in a bid to the government for funding to be brought forward.

Chief Executive, Paul Bridge, received the news in a letter from the government’s Homes and Communities Agency. The proposal to which the government has agreed is to bring forward £6.5m of expenditure from 2010-11 into the coming year, 2009-10. This will enable Homes for Haringey and its constructor partners to update 300 homes a year earlier than scheduled.

Councillor John Bevan, Cabinet Member for Housing at Haringey Council, said: "This is great news for Haringey residents. We are aware that many residents are living in flats and houses that are below the government’s Decent Homes standard. We understand the frustration some of them may feel at having to wait up to five years for things to be put right. This should be particularly welcome news for them.”

Paul Bridge continued: "We are very keen indeed to provide residents with homes that are fit to live in with a minimum of delay. We would like to do a similar exercise year on year after the next comprehensive spending review, which would make it possible to speed up our whole programme within the same overall funding. We would then be able to complete all the works up to 18 months sooner than originally planned.”

As well as improving the quality of residents’ homes, the decent homes programme is contributing to the overall regeneration of Haringey, including developing work opportunities for local people. Around 20% of the jobs created by the Decent Homes programme are going to local people. Homes for Haringey is actively working with its four constructor partners, Apollo, Lovell, Mulalley and Wates, to provide more opportunities for apprenticeships and local labour and procurement - highly important in the current economic conditions.

For further information, contact the Decent Homes team on 020 8489 1778.

ENDS

Notes for editors

Homes for Haringey is the Arms Length Management Organisation managing Haringey Council’s housing stock.

It is responsible for:

  • Services to approx 21,000 council owned properties: 16,700 tenanted and 4,500 leasehold
  • Tenancy and estate management
  • Housing management of supported housing
  • Rent collection and arrears management
  • Repairs and maintenance
  • Leasehold management
  • Resident involvement
  • Meeting the Decent Homes Standard.

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