TOWER HAMLETS HOMES AWARDED TWO-STARS AND £94.5 MILLION

The Audit Commission has awarded Tower Hamlets Homes a two-star rating and as a result has been given £94.5 million of Decent Homes Funding to invest in housing stock over the next five years. The Commission carried out a two-week inspection in November 2010, to evaluate our housing management service, looking at how well we deliver services such as repairs, collecting rent, resident engagement, customer access, and providing value for money across services.

“This is an excellent result,” said Chris Creegan, Chair of Tower Hamlets Homes Board. “Our challenge from the outset has been to deliver high quality services that residents deserve. It is a great tribute to the hard work and dedication of Tower Hamlets Homes staff that this has been recognised.”

The Audit Commission’s report highlights significant improvements in the quality of service being delivered, with repairs, customer access, tenancy management and the way we deal with anti-social behaviour identified as particular strengths.

Gavin Cansfield, Tower Hamlets Homes, Chief Executive, commented: “I am delighted with the result. The rating confirms that we are doing a good job and delivering real improvements for residents. However, sitting back is not an option. We know there is still a lot to do, and we will use the recommendations from the Audit Commission to help us improve still further.”

Additionally, Tower Hamlets Homes is set to receive £94.5m of funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to help bring tenanted homes we manage to the Decent Homes Standard over the next four years.

The HCA makes recommendations for funding based on value for money, proportionate need, and capacity to deliver. The Audit Commisson’s report will be published early March.

The Decent Homes backlog programme funding allocations were announced by the Government last week. Tower Hamlets, which has one of the highest percentages of homes not ‘decent’, has been awarded the second highest level of investment in the country. Decent Homes is a national standard which means that all Council and housing association tenants should expect to live in a home that is reasonably modern, warm and water-tight.

Chief Executive Gavin Cansfield said, “This is a good result for tenants of Tower Hamlets Homes. Although we haven’t received the full amount we applied for, the money we’ve been allocated means that £1 in every £16 of all Decent Homes money – over £1.5 billion – will be spent in Tower Hamlets. I’m looking forward to work on the first homes beginning in April.”

In Tower Hamlets, currently 8,926 council-owned properties do not meet the Decent Homes Standard. The funding will allow Tower Hamlets Homes to bring nearly 80% of these up to modern standards. The remaining homes will hopefully be funded either through subsequent Government funding, or locally.

Resident Board member, Shamsul Hoque, who lives in Bethnal Green, said about the announcement: “I think this is really good news for Tower Hamlets Homes residents. Over the next five years, most tenants will receive new kitchens and bathrooms and other works to their homes to make them nicer places to live in. I know my neighbours will be glad to have works done to their homes after so long.”