Tenants consulted on fate of Islington ALMO

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities, Local Government

Nearly 30,000 council tenants, freeholders and leaseholders will be receiving questionnaires next week asking for their views on how Islington's council housing should be managed in the future.

The consultation runs until 8 August and includes a postal questionnaire and drop-in sessions to determine residents' priorities. 

The money for the Decent Homes programme, delivered by the council's Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) Homes For Islington (HFI) comes to an end in 2011; with HFI's contract for managing the local authority's housing stock ending in 2014.

Most ALMOs have now completed their Decent Homes programmes and are, naturally, having their contracts reviewed by their councils.

Several ALMOs have returned in-house to councils - such as Hillingdon, Ealing and Slough - while others have been converted into housing associations to increase borrowing power.

However, it was announced in June that 15 ALMOs across England have had their management agreements extended by their councils.

Based on the tenant and resident feedback, Islington council says a number of housing management options will be developed and residents will have the opportunity to comment again later in the year.

The review will ask tenants, leaseholders and freeholders, whose housing services are managed by HFI, what their priorities are for housing management - including how much influence residents should have in decision making.

 The final outcome, to be announced towards the end of the year, will be a model that "reflects residents' views while ensuring decent affordable homes and value for money in the long term".

The council has confirmed, however, that the ownership of properties will stay with the council and there will be no stock transfer to a third party, for example a housing association.

In June, the council appointed a Residents’ Panel to help oversee and steer the consultation process, including selecting an Independent Resident Adviser to  give advice independent from the council and HFI about how the review should be run.

Sean McLaughlin, Corporate Director of Housing at Islington Council, said: "This is a really important decision and the council wants to hear now from tenants and residents in order to get it right.

"The council has an open mind on the outcome and wants as many residents as possible to have their say on the crucial decisions that affect them - whether that's service management, new home building, estate security or improving opportunities.

"Whatever method residents choose to respond by, all questionnaires and comments on our housing management review need to be returned by 8 August."