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Shelter has concerns over housing plan

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

Wandsworth Council’s new leader, Councillor Ravi Govindia, has promised a reform of its housing strategy which would see council homes go to intelligent people with good jobs instead of the homeless and people on benefits.

The plan has already been criticised by politicians and Shelter (charity for the homeless) who both predict this plan will create a cycle of homelessness and have devastating consequences for both families and children who are already going to be forced out of their home because of the housing benefit cuts announced last year by the Coalition.

Wandsworth has quite often had one of the lowest council tax bills in the country and in the 1980s was in the vanguard of the highly controversial “Right to Buy” scheme, during which time they sold off half of their housing stock. Councillor Govindia was only celebrating his appointment as leader last Wednesday and is very keen to investigate new ways of helping the current generation of younger people with an interest in household insurance to find appropriate accommodation. London Mayor Boris Johnson is delighted at the appointment of Councillor Govindia and is watching with great anticipation what ideas will be put forward.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said “It is completely counterproductive to take away the security people so desperately need to get back on their feet by placing those who have suffered the trauma of homelessness into the insecure private rented sector. Our 40 years’ experience of supporting homeless people shows this simply leads to a revolving cycle of homelessness, with devastating consequences for children and families.”

Councillors opposed to the plan feel it will penalise anyone who is out of work through no fault of their own. Wandsworth like many other parts of the country is facing a housing crisis and opponents of the plan say cutting away the safety net from residents who will face the nightmare of losing a home is not the way to deal with the problem.

Tags: council houses, homelessness, household insurance, Housing strategy, Shelter
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Council ask man to move out of his dead grandmother’s house

Friday, May 20th, 2011

A man who has been caring for his sick grandmother now faces eviction from the council home she lived in and protected with household insurance despite the fact he has nowhere else he can live. Brett Taylor fears for his future after he was told by Basildon Council he will have to leave the house.

Brett started caring for Sylvia, who was suffering from osteoporosis and emphysema in November last year. Unfortunately she died in January. The very same week her grieving grandson was informed by the council that he will have to leave the property. For the last four months Brett has been fighting to stay in the property, and has even sought advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Mr Taylor said: “The house can fit a small family inside it. I appreciated I would have to give it up, but the fact the council is not even considering giving me some form of temporary accommodation is stupid. I have been told if I do not leave the house they will take a legal action out to kick me out and could send bailiffs round.”

Under United Kingdom law, anyone who has cared for a relative for a year in a council property can then legally become the occupant. But because he was only caring for his grandmother for three months, the council correctly say he is not entitled to stay, however, he has nowhere else to live.

The council are sympathetic to the situation but claim Mr Taylor was advised that he does not meet the criteria for succession some time ago; they have allowed him to stay in the property for a short time so he can find alternative accommodation. The council have nearly 900 people waiting for this type of much needed family accommodation. If Mr Taylor is still in residence six months after his grandmother’s death, the council will have no alternative, but to start legal action.

Tags: Basildon Council, Council home, home insurance, household insurance
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British Gas seeking to build their social housing energy services business

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

British Gas has increased their interest in the housing energy market by signing a multi-million pound deal to buy a central heating services company. Their parent company Centrica have officially announced that British Gas has bought the PH Jones Group Ltd for what is thought to be a £30 million deal.

The Coalition Government’s Green Deal is all set to start next year. The deal will see property owners eligible to receive a loan to carry out energy upgrades, with the loan paid back through their energy bills. PH Jones’ social housing business has over forty different contracts which sees them provide central heating services and repairs for around a quarter of a million homes. They also carry out over 9000 central heating installations per year through another twenty-eight contracts they have within the social housing sector. The deal means homeowners who have heating cover included in their home insurance policy are more than likely to receive service from British Gas when things go wrong.

Managing director of British Gas Community Energy, Betsy Bassis, said “Social housing is a strategically important market for British Gas. It not only represents 20% of Britain’s housing stock, but it is also an early adopter of energy efficiency and renewable technologies.

“We are committed to creating a leading energy services business for the public sector and our focus is on growing successfully through a combination of strong organic growth and our partnership with Mears, one of the leading providers of repairs and maintenance in social housing. PH Jones is a successful, profitable company in this sector and combining its strengths with those of British Gas will deliver important benefits for our customers.”

Eight months ago British Gas announced a strategic partnership with Mears which will see them take on energy efficiency work in the social housing sector. That partnership will offer a full range of both micro generation installation and maintenance services to around 500,000 properties. Together, the two of them will bid for social housing sector contracts.

Tags: British Gas, Central Heating, Green Deal, home insurance, Social Housing
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Home refurbishment turns into nightmare for angry family

Friday, May 13th, 2011

A single mother who rents a property from South Tyneside Homes is angry after her house has been damaged by contractors who were meant to be making it a better place for the family to live.

Donna Pellow’s terraced home, has large cracks in the walls, the bath rocks from side to side, and Donna says she is now scared to use the stairs because she fears they may collapse. Donna lives at the property with her two daughters, Lauren and Rhiannon, and whenever anyone uses the shower she has to move furniture in the living room as water comes through the ceiling. Her home is protected with home insurance cover but the damage to the property is making living there a nightmare.

The problems started in August 09 when the contractor chosen to carry out work on all South Tyneside Homes, Dunelm Property Services, came to fit a new kitchen and bathroom, rewire the home and install new radiators. However, almost two years on Donna says the damage still has not been repaired.

Donna said: “This was a bodge job; they literally smashed up my home. They made a mess of one ceiling just to put a single wire through. As soon as the work was done water started leaking from the new radiators, coming through the light fittings downstairs. I had a lovely house before they came and did this, and I wish they had just left it the way it was. I’ve been on the phone constantly to try to get my house repaired, but I keep going around in circles. It is making me stressed and it’s affecting my health.”

South Tyneside Homes are aware of the problems and are in contact with the contractors who are sending out their works manager to visit Miss Pellow to hopefully solve the problems.

Tags: home insurance, South Tyneside Homes, tenants
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Islington Council becomes first to refuse housing money

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Islington housing chiefs plan to turn down their share of the £2.2 billion Coalition Government pot which was to be used to build new affordable properties. According to Islington councillors the housing would not actually be affordable at all and by rejecting the money, Islington Council are on a collision course with the coalition.

Under the scheme, all of the twenty-nine housing associations operating within the borough would be able to charge up to 80% of the amounts private landlords are achieving. The council claim this will still be out of reach of most people. Affordable housing is still a huge issue in Islington with 12000 people having their names on the waiting list, and a further 6000 families living in a home officially classed as overcrowded.

Many families are being forced to move out of the borough due to high rents. There is widespread concern that even more people will be forced to move out because of the cap introduced on housing benefit. The council believe that the 80% rent level would effectively place the housing beyond the financial reach of the people most in need of the properties, people who are struggling to find the money to buy household insurance let alone compete in the inflated London housing market. Islington is the first council in the country to reject the money under the new Affordable Housing Programme.

Cllr Murray said: “If we want to sign up to the governments affordable rent programme and receive grants we would have to allow housing associations to charge up to 80% of private rents. That is not an affordable rent. We are offering to put up land and £1m subsidy instead. Once the housing benefit cap comes in it will squeeze even more people out. As a local authority we will look at the most appropriate option that can address the needs of local people and we will utilise existing alternative means of finance.”

Tags: household insurance, housing, Islington council, rent
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Scottish homeowners offered a freeze in Council Tax

Friday, April 15th, 2011

As homeowners in Scotland prepare to be inundated by literature and door knocking politicians, one of the parties contesting the forthcoming elections is offering a political carrot that will be taken by many.

In common with homeowners across the UK, those in Scotland must be at their wits end wondering how to make ends meet. The cost of fuel, household insurance, food and energy have all risen over the last few months. However, help may be at hand.

In preparation for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections next month the ruling Scottish National Party (SNA) are promising to put a freeze on Council Tax payments for the next 5 years. It is a plan that will certainly appeal to many voters as they look to make savings on their weekly income.

In a manifesto that will also appeal to the young, the green and the sporty the SNA are promising all manner of things. They say they will provide another 130,000 low carbon jobs for the workforce of Scotland, and promise that homeowners and the rest of the country will be using energy in their homes that is 100% renewable from 2020 onwards.

The party has also pledged to build a National Football Academy in an effort to stop the slide in fortunes of the national team and help will also be given to the young, in the arts and business worlds. Of course the SNA confirmed that if elected they would introduce an Independence Referendum Bill in the next Parliament.

It is a manifesto that will certainly appeal to homeowners to a certain degree although some may be worried that the SNA is looking to take more financial control from Westminster. Mortgages and rental payments are two things that households like to have a secure feeling about and many will look at the fortunes of those in Ireland, Greece and Portugal before they vote.

Tags: council tax, home insurance, household insurance
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Oxford reveals plan for a brand new housing estate

Monday, April 11th, 2011

Oxford City Council has released details of the largest housing development in the city since the Greater Leys estate was built many years ago. The biggest undeveloped site for residential use within the city will be used, and the project is seen as the key to solving the housing shortage in the city.

Plans for the site will see 1200 new homes built, the majority of which will be covered by household insurance. A new primary school, community and recreation facilities plus a host of shops are also part of the plan. The new properties will be a mix of types but they will have an emphasis on family homes. From next month local residents will also be able to pick their favourites from a list of options which include a supermarket, and whether to keep or relocate the recreation ground.

Sue Holden, secretary of the local community association, said “Residents are initially impressed with the new plans. One of the things we are really supporting is the supermarket. I think that would really make a difference to the traffic on the Green Road roundabout and also on the ring road. It will mean that people don’t have to go off the estate to do their shopping. One thing we’re very concerned about is that the developers don’t prioritise profit over facilities.”

Local residents are hoping the developers do not have a change of heart over the ample green space allocation and try and place extra homes in the scheme. They also feel a new school is desperately needed and youth facilities would also be welcome, but the question they are all asking is how the facilities are going to be funded in the long term when there is such a shortage of public cash available.

The council hopes that anyone who has an interest in the future of the new estate will take this opportunity to make their views known.

Tags: new housing estate, Oxford
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Peterborough housing chiefs vow to fill empty houses

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Senior housing chiefs in Peterborough have revealed that there are around 2,000 empty houses throughout the area. The news is even more shocking as there are over 7,000 people on the waiting list for a home.

MP Stewart Jackson has now called for Peterborough City Council to be more aggressive in their approach to this issue so that as many people as possible can be removed from the housing waiting list and placed into a new home. Peterborough’s council cabinet member for housing, Peter Hiller, described the problem as a “minefield” because some of the empty homes are privately owned, but affirmed that the council would strive to get the houses inhabited.

Mr Hiller said “These are not all our properties so it is not just a simple case of putting people into these homes. We have told the housing teams to make full use of their legal powers, such as Empty Dwelling Management Orders, which can see them change a property’s locks and make repairs, to ease the pressure on the housing waiting list. Empty homes can lead to a sub-culture of drug users using the properties and this is not something we need.”

Of the 2,000 empty properties in Peterborough, one third of them have been empty for over six months. These are now being reviewed and they will focus on finding the owners. It is not an easy job as quite often a person has died without a will and there are an awful lot of problems trying to track down the beneficiaries in probate. It is thought the council may try and track some owners through the household insurance policy on the house but this may prove difficult.

Housing chiefs say the waiting list has dropped by 3,000 from two years ago. The drop is believed to be down to more affordable houses being built and less repossessions, and after the review it is likely to drop further to around 6,000. The council also said that it is surprising the amount of people who have no interest in the home that has been left to them. A fact that frustrates not only the council, but the poor people waiting to be re-homed.

Tags: Council homes, Council Housing, household insurance, Peterborough Housing
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Local councillors want houses and not flats

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

“We need houses and not flats” was the view of Councillors from Burnham and Highbridge as they looked at proposed new plans which will see over 400 new properties built on the outskirts of both towns.

A meeting was held last week to discuss the long-term plans for the area and councillors are determined to get what in their view is the best deal for the towns. Unanimously they believe larger family houses as opposed to apartment style buildings are imperative for the towns’ infrastructure.

Councillors are determined the new area will be nothing like the homes built in the last few years, many homeowners have seen a rise in their household insurance policies because of social problems, and Chris Williams, one of the local councillors, asserted “100% we as a council want houses over flats. We have an arrangement with Sedgemoor District Council that they’ve built enough flats already in the last four years, and we want houses. We’ve got lots of flats that have been built in recent years because at the time they were more economically viable. But they’ve got tarmac out front and back, nowhere for children to play, and subsequently no social infrastructure, which leads to a high rate of crime.”

They council feel if houses are built on the site, it will then attract shops and encourage businesses to come to the town, and most importantly create a better environment for residents to live in. As the development area is a Greenfield site the towns will benefit from contributions by the developer who is eventually picked to build the homes.

The council anticipate that the developer chosen will build children’s play grounds, a bridge to the nearby supermarket and shops, and contribute to an upgrade of Market Street. This is all part of the council’s long-term strategy where they plan to create a 20-year vision of sustainable growth for the local area.

Tags: Council homes, Council house tenants, home insurance, Local councillors
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Edinburgh to get first new council houses in two decades

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Work has begun on the first new council houses to be built in Edinburgh for over twenty years. In total 215 new houses are going to be built in Gracemount under a joint project between the Scottish Government and the City Council.

The first phase which will see 99 new properties built and local residents will be actively involved in the design of the development. There will be 66 of these new properties built in the first phase available for rent from the city council with the remaining 33 houses put aside for shared equity sale or mid-market rent. These properties will be the first council houses to be built in Edinburgh since the 1980s.

Councillor, Paul Edie, said “This is an exciting time for residents in Edinburgh as they can now see our new council homes taking shape. I’m confident these modern homes will set the standard for other councils across Scotland to follow. Nothing is more important to people than decent housing. It impacts on health, well-being and educational attainment. The city faces an acute shortage of housing which is becoming a limit on our prosperity. This is something we are working closely with the Scottish Government on and their £7.5 million investment in this programme is vital to meet this goal.”

The first of the new homes will be ready to rent from around October next year and will include flats and colony houses. The building work is being done by the Edinburgh-based firm, Cruden Group, who along with Hart Builders are part of Edinburgh’s £150 million Homes programme, which is hoping to build 1300 new homes across Edinburgh by 2018.

Everyone on the waiting list for a home which they can protect with household insurance are delighted that Edinburgh are again starting to build council homes after such a long gap. Thanks to money secured from the Scottish Government, the next phase of building will take place in Pennywell and Muirhouse.

Tags: Council homes, Council house tenants, Government, home insurance
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