Cabinet approves new model for future management of Council Housing and other housing services
Council Housing will be brought back into the Council
Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet has decided to bring the management of Council Housing back into the Council following a consultation with tenants and leaseholders. Cabinet has also approved recommendations for future arrangements for other housing services currently delivered by ForHousing.
The Council owns 5,300 homes in the borough, mainly in the areas of Ellesmere Port, Neston and Winsford. These homes are currently managed and maintained on behalf of the Council by ForHousing. ForHousing also run the Council’s homelessness support service (branded as forfutures), home improvement agency (branded as HomeKey+), and the leasing of the Council’s affordable homes which sit in a separate Housing Investment Account.
In anticipation of the contract ending and in light of significant changes in the housing landscape, last year the Council asked tenants for their views on how they would like their homes to be managed in the future. This consultation saw 75% of respondents saying that they would like the Council’s homes to be owned and managed by the Council, with repairs and maintenance delivered by an external specialist contractor.
Cabinet has now approved this as a way forward. This should provide long-term stability for tenants and give the Council direct control of service delivery to ensure it meets regulatory standards and provide a more flexible and responsive service for our tenants. This approach will also benefit from the expertise and experience of external contractors for physical building works.
The Council will also manage improvements and adaptations to homes through the Home Improvement Agency, with physical works completed by external contractors. The Council’s affordable homes that sit in the Housing Investment Account will be leased by the Council to an external registered provider.
Homelessness Support Services for Temporary Accommodation, Out of Hours homelessness statutory duty services, the Supported accommodation gateway, homelessness prevention services, advice and information and tenancy support will also be delivered by the Council, giving the Council more control over improving outcomes for vulnerable people and better aligning these services with the homeless prevention services already delivered in-house. Homelessness Support Services for young people rough sleeping and supported accommodation will be delivered by the expertise of external specialist providers.
Cllr Christine Warner, Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning, said: “Thank you to all tenants and leaseholders who took part in the consultation. We have heard loud and clear that they would like the Council, rather than an external provider, to deliver housing services for them. We’ve listened hard, and we are acting upon what they have told us. The Council now has the opportunity to deliver a housing model going forward that brings the Council closer to our residents.
“The delivery of housing services nationally has faced significant pressures, challenges and changes over recent years. However, this commitment shows that the Council is embracing the challenge and is keen that this new model will benefit tenants, homeless people and others accessing housing services with a modern, fit-for-purpose service.”
Current arrangements for contacting ForHousing, forfutures, HomeKey+ and reporting repairs or issues will continue for the time being until the contract ends. More information will be made available closer to the time to let residents know how to contact the new Council service.
To report repairs or issues, please continue to do so by: Telephone: 0300 123 5522 Online: Repairs reporter - Cheshire West and Chester Email: hello@forhousing.co.uk