Westminster City Council to renew ALMO's contract

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

Westminster City Council has agreed, in principle, to renew its contract with its arms-length management organisation (ALMO) CityWest Homes, housing bosses announced today.

Since it was set up 10 years ago, CityWest Homes, which manages almost 22,000 homes on behalf of the local authority, has "significantly improved the quality of housing in the city", the council said.

The council’s decision is now subject to consultation with residents and negotiations with CityWest Homes.

The council says the ALMO model has operated well in Westminster, with the Decent Homes programme - a scheme to improve the standards of social housing - successfully completed ahead of schedule by CityWest.

Tenant satisfaction with how estates are managed has increased by around 20% in the same period, with CityWest recently achieving its highest ever satisfaction rating of 79%, the council said.

Satisfaction among leaseholders has also increased, it said, to 55%. Overall, 91% of residents are now satisfied with CityWest’s repairs services, the local authority said.

The council has also praised the ALMO's role in helping residents get back into work, with more than 300 people on Westminster's estates enrolling into a programme to help people get back into jobs or training.

In the last year, it said, CityWest has made annual savings of nearly £2million and delivered capital works worth £30million, which has made significant improvements to a large number of homes.

Cllr Jonathan Glanz, Westminster Council’s cabinet member for housing and corporate property, said CityWest’s performance was the primary reason as to why a decision has been made in principle to renew its contract.

"CityWest Homes has made significant improvements in the last few years by raising the standard of services and operating more efficiently for our tenants and leaseholders,” he said.

"The consultation is an opportunity for people to tell us what they think and what improvements could be made from the service provided by CityWest Homes."

Mark Hoyland, CityWest Homes chief executive, said: "Our residents are at the heart of everything that we do. We have changed the way we work by listening to our tenants and leaseholders and reacting positively to issues raised.

"We take great pride in what we have achieved so far and look forward to continuing to provide the best possible housing services in Westminster."