First Choice Homes Oldham blows out the candles to a successful first year

Published by Claire Tinston for IPB Communications in Housing and also in Communities

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) is celebrating its first anniversary by counting the success of its key achievements while looking forward to the year ahead.

Since its launch, FCHO has successfully started its £149 million investment programme which aims to improve properties and boost tenants’ quality of life as part of a five year scheme.

The housing association has also delivered its ‘100 day’ promises made to tenants who voted overwhelmingly in favour of transferring the local authority’s 12,000 properties from an arms-length management organisation to FCHO.

The ‘100 day’ promise contained numerous improvements  including launching a handyperson service to carry out repairs, investing money in environmental improvements and responding to serious anti-social behaviour problems within 24 hours.   

During the past 12 months alone, FCHO has carried out 2688 improvements to tenants’ homes including the following;

• 740 new bathrooms
• 287 new kitchens
• 812 rewires
• 200 roofs
• 444 new heating systems
• 205 new doors
• £1 million per year is also being invested in providing aids and adaptations to the homes of customers with disabilities

Apart from home improvements, FCHO has also built and let 44 new family homes and has successfully bid for funding to build 48 more.

FCHO has also successfully helped Oldham Council to complete the £113 Million ‘Gateways to Oldham’ PFI contract, which will see 316 homes improved, 317 built to rent and up to a further 86 built for sale.

In addition, FCHO has supported local job creation by hiring local contractors amongst the 16 chosen to carry out improvement works.

The organisation has created and protected an estimated 260 local jobs as well as introducing a rolling programme of apprenticeships in partnership with Oldham College.

Four apprentices have been hired to work for the organisation to date and work placements have also been set up for young people through Future Job Fund providers.

Cath Green, FCHO Chief Executive, said: “It’s been a terrific year for FCHO and it’s amazing how much we’ve achieved in such a short space of time.

“We have honoured our 100 day pledge to tenants and have invested a lot of money in home improvements over the past 12 months. We are also very proud of our role in creating jobs and new homes for local people and are looking forward to making our tenants even more proud over the coming year.”

FCHO’s key achievements this year go beyond bricks and mortar by placing people at the heart of company culture.

The organisation’s dedication to staff training and development has earned the company an Investors in People Bronze Award and FCHO has also become a member of the Institute of Customer Service.

FCHO makes £60,000 per year available to support tenants and residents’ associations as well as supporting and sponsoring local initiatives such as job clubs, youth clubs and gardening competitions.

In addition, thanks to FCHO, work is well underway to deliver a further £10.2 million of environmental improvements across the borough over the next five years and tenants are also invited to apply for £5,000 grants to improve their area with planting schemes, communal fencing and wall murals.

FCHO’s Respect Our Communities Awards support a wide range of community projects and over £250,000 in grants have been given to date, with a further £50,000 per year earmarked for neighbourhoods and the environment through a New Innovations Fund.

Over the past year FCHO has established new teams to combat and prevent anti-social behaviour, to promote financial inclusion services and combat fuel poverty.

The company’s homeless policy and intervention work has also prevented 395 families becoming homeless and has helped 219 households into more appropriate housing, freeing up much needed family homes.       

“As both the Council's Lead Member for Housing and as a member of the First Choice Homes Oldham Board, I am pleased with the excellent work done by FCHO in its first year,” said Councillor David Hibbert, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and Lead Member for Housing and a Member of the FCHO Board.

“FCHO's determination, in partnership with Oldham MBC, to improve homes and community spaces shows its commitment to its tenants and to its customers.

“FCHO also recognises and embraces its important role in the wider community by supporting local groups and providing apprenticeships.

“I look forward to working even more closely with FCHO and to supporting its continuing achievements in the years to come.”