Housing achievements 07/08/Plans 08/09
Details of the achievements in 2007/08 and plans for 2008/09 are given below:
2007/8 achievements in Housing
Pledge 1 – Improving Health in Salford
- Continued to deliver a housing advice and support strategy which ensured that homeless and vulnerable households had access to health services while in temporary accommodation and access to appropriate support services to live independently in a permanent home
- Tackled unfit homes and improved energy efficiency (and warmth) which improved the health and well-being of residents
- Continued investment in disabled adaptations work enabled people with a disability to remain in their homes
Pledge 2 – Reducing Crime in Salford
- Began the phased implementation of licensing within Langworthy and the mandatory licensing of certain Houses in Multiple Occupation across the city, ensuring that landlords covered by the scheme were fit and proper persons, had proper tenancy management arrangements in place and made it a condition of a license that, where relevant, landlords took reasonable steps to control the antisocial behaviour of their tenants. Throughout the year we worked closely with landlords to assist them into the new licensing regime and to take action where breaches of license conditions occurred
- Developed the coordination of housing policies to reduce re-offending. Access to accommodation was highlighted as a barrier in the effective management of offenders; from advice services on sentencing through to effective re-settlement and release. There was also active multi agency involvement and arrangement of housing and support to prolific and persistent, high risk or nuisance offenders was further developed
Pledge 5 – Promoting Inclusion in Salford
- Developed a tenants and residents compact called “Opening Doors” detailing how consultation will take place and how it will be monitored and reported. The compact has been developed with tenants and residents and was launched in spring and implemented throughout the city during 2007/2008
Pledge 7 – Enhancing Life in Salford
- In a bid to secure the major investment needed to bring all Salford’s council properties up to the Decent Homes standard.
- Salford Housing and Planning Directorate has successfully launched Salix Homes a new Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) which will carry out repairs and improvements to homes in Central Salford. It will also create opportunities for regeneration and will work with residents and tenants to improve neighbourhoods and make them safer
- Salford Housing and Planning were successful in the tenants’ ballot with almost 73% of those who voted said yes to the transfer their council homes in West Salford to the new social landlord, City West Housing Trust, who will receive substantial Government investment for improvement
- The successful Private Finance Initiative (PFI) expression of interest of £102 million has culminated in the council being requested by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to submit an outline business case with preparation being undertaken during 2007/08 for submission during 2008
- Developed business plans for the establishment of a common services provider to provide residents of Salford with a single point of contact irrespective of tenure for certain housing services, cumulating in a launch in shadow mode during 2007/08
Key Housing Plans against Pledges 2008/09
Pledge 2 – Reducing Crime in Salford
- The further development of a co-ordinated approach to help reduce crime involving the common services provider for services such as burglary reduction and anti-social behaviour we will have
- Through the planning of the investment works to be delivered through the new organisations we will ensure that designs take into account factors to mitigate crime and the involvement of Neighbourhood Management
Pledge 7 – Enhancing Life in Salford
- Work with the management team and board of Salix to ensure that when the service inspection in late 2008 takes place it will achieve a 2-star assessment in order to draw down the ALMO funding
- Work with Salix, Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company, Housing Market Renewal Fund Pathfinder Board, New Deal for Communities Board and private sector partners such as Countryside and Legendary Properties to ensure a coordinated approach to regeneration in the area
- Work with the DCLG on the transfer programme and the shadow board of City West Housing Trust in preparation for its launch in July 2008
- Prepare and submit an outline business case for PFI by Summer 2008 to DCLG
- Work with the board and management team of New Prospect to ensure there is no change to services provided to tenants during transition and also on the winding down of New Prospect
- Support other directorates in considering the implication of the changes on other directorates from the changes to housing service delivery
- Work with Human Resources at all stages of the changes to ensure that the welfare and well being of both council and New Prospect staff are duly considered
- The Supporting People programme will continue to provide specialist accommodation for vulnerable residents during 2008/09
This page was last updated on 18 March 2008
Email this page to a friend
Bookmark this page using:
Find out more about social bookmarking.
These sites allow you to store, tag and share links across the internet. You can share these links both with friends and people with similar interests. You can also access your links from any computer you happen to be using.
If you come across a page on our site that you find interesting and want to save for future reference or share it with other people, simply click on one of these links to add to your list.
All of these sites are free to use but do require you to register. Once you have registered you can begin bookmarking. Each of the sites works slightly differently so use the links below to find out which service best suits your needs.
Find out more about social bookmarking at Wikipedia.
