£5m for better homes is safe

This is an archived news story from July 2010

Work to improve more than 700 homes in Salford over the next year is still on track after a £5m decent homes grant from the government is confirmed this week.

Following a review of all public spending plans, the Homes and Communities Agency has given the go ahead to release £5m to Salford for Decent Homes investment.

The grant will cover improvement work in 2010/11.

Salford was awarded access to Labour's government decent homes funding back in April when its housing management company, Salix Homes achieved a two star rating in its Audit Commission inspection.

Its services were rated as 'good' with 'excellent prospects'. Throughout 2010/11 residents will see a total of £9m spent on improvement to homes with the council investing £4m of this towards Decent Homes.

Salford's Decent Homes programme has been developed in close consultation with residents to ensure that investment is targeted initially in areas where it is most needed.

Over the coming months, work will start on homes in Broughton, Irwell Riverside and Ordsall with this year's investment targeted on the following estates:

Ordsall Lane
Broadway
Lissadel Street
London Street
Racecourse
Regent Park
Spike Island
Duchy
Islington estate

The government's Decent Homes standard requires properties to be warm and weatherproof with reasonably modern facilities.

Work to homes will include kitchen and bathroom refurbishments, double-glazed windows, new doors, central heating and wall and loft insulations.

Further funding from the HCA is expected to be announced in stages.

Leader of Salford City Council, Councillor John Merry said: "I am pleased that the government has been able to confirm the additional decent homes funding for 2010/11 and I hope that the new Minsiter for Housing, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps, will soon be able to confirm that the balance of additional decent homes funding, which amounts to some £63 million, will also be made available."

The council's lead member for housing, Councillor Peter Connor added: "There are lots of exciting things happening with housing in Salford and I'm hoping that the Minister will be able to find time to come and talk with us so that we can share ideas about housing futures."

Said Peter Styche, chair of Salix Homes: "This is good news for our customers and means we can now make a start in bringing all the homes we manage in central Salford up to the Decent Homes standard.

"We will shortly be contacting those customers who will benefit from works to their home this year to finalise arrangements and agree when the improvement works will commence."

Deborah McLaughlin, North West director of the Homes and Communities Agency said: “It’s great that we have been able to confirm this investment for Salford. I am sure that these vital improvements will make a real difference to the lives of many local people.”

Notes for editors

Salix Homes Ltd is helping to deliver Salford City Council's five-year strategy to bring all council housing up to the Decent Homes Standard, a multi-million pound vision for the city.

Salix Homes is an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) and is a not-for-profit company responsible for the day-to-day management of 10,600 homes across Central Salford, Rainsough Brow and Beechfarm.

It also assists the council in the operational delivery of the Housing Market Renewal Programme.

For more information on Salix Homes, please contact Public Relations Officer, Katy Barnes on 0161 793 3157.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England.

Its role is to create opportunities for people to live in high quality, sustainable places. It provides funding for affordable housing, bring land back into productive use and improve the quality of life by raising standards for the physical and social environment.

Date published: Thursday, 15 July 2010
Reference number: 10-2660

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