Decent Homes Boost For Tenants

Published by Kate Hughes for Wolverhampton Homes in Housing

Council tenants in Wolverhampton have received a boost after Wolverhampton Homes managed to negotiate £1 million for the Decent Homes programme a year earlier than planned.

The Decent Homes programme will bring all Wolverhampton City Council housing up to a Government standard, that includes being modern and weather-tight.

So far 15,500 homes have been completed leaving 8,000 still to be done.

Last year the funding of the Decent Homes programme for financial years 2011/12 and 2012/13 was changed so that it was allocated over four years instead of two, meaning some tenants had to wait longer than expected for the work.

But now Wolverhampton Homes has negotiated to bring forward £1 million of funding. This will mean that an additional 82 homes will now be improved in 2011/12 bringing the total to 1982.

The allocations for 2011/12 and 2012/13 will now be £23,143,000 and £20,700,000 respectively.

Councillor Peter Bilson, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Prosperity, said: “This is a further boost for the Wolverhampton economy and will be heartening for tenants across the city.“

Chief Executive of Wolverhampton Homes, Lesley Roberts, said: “This is great news for tenants because it means they will have their work sooner than expected.

“It is also great news for the city because it is greater security for the 180 people from the city who currently work on the programme.”