Frequently asked questions about Tower Hamlets Homes
What kind of organisation is
Tower Hamlets Homes?
Tower Hamlets Homes is an organisation set up
by Tower Hamlets council to provide housing services to its tenants
and leaseholders. It's a separate not-for-profit company, wholly
owned by the council. The council is still the owner of the homes.
The council decides the terms on which Tower Hamlets Homes manages
the housing and monitors it closely through a management agreement.
Tower Hamlets Homes is an ALMO, or arms-length management
organisation, part of a government plan to bring extra investment
into council housing.
What's Tower Hamlets Homes responsible for?
Tower Hamlets Homes manages the housing
under contract to the council. We're responsible for day-to-day
management of homes and estates, including:
- letting homes and dealing with empty
property
- collecting rent and service charges and
dealing with arrears
- Repairing, improving and modernising
homes
- Helping people to get involved in managing
homes
- Handling ‘right-to-buy’ applications for the
council
- Managing tenancies and leases
- Looking after and improving
estates
- Providing a range of support services
What's the
council responsible for?
The council is still the owner of
the homes. It is responsible for housing policy in Tower
Hamlets, including:
- housing strategy for the borough
- monitoring Tower Hamlets Homes
- setting rents for Tower Hamlets
Homes
- Housing Benefit and rent rebates
- homelessness and housing advice
The council is also the sole owner
of Tower Hamlets Homes and monitors us carefully
to make sure we deliver services to the required
standard.
Why has the Council set up Tower Hamlets Homes?
The council needed to find additional
resources to carry out much-needed repairs to homes and estates.
If an ALMO such as Tower Hamlets Homes achieves a two-star or
good rating when it's inspected by the Audit Commission it becomes
eligible for extra funding.
The council has put in a bid for £250 million
- enough to bring homes up to the governments' decent standard -
warm and weatherproof with modern kitchens and bathrooms. This
money is not available to improve homes in any other way.
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What does Tower Hamlets Homes
mean for council tenants and leaseholders?
In some ways there is no change for residents.
There is no change in tenancy or lease arrangements for tenants and
leaseholders. The stock remains in council ownership. Tenants are
still council tenants, with their existing council tenancies, and
leaseholders remain council leaseholders, with their existing
leases. Tenants’ and leaseholders' rights do not change.
There are, however, real benefits for
residents - extra money for repairs to your homes, a
focus on improving our services, and real involvement in the
running of the organisation.
- extra money: Tower Hamlets Homes brings the
potential for millions of pounds of additional government
investment for peoples' homes.
- service improvements: because the additional
funding is dependent on a 2-star, or good, rating from the Audit
Commission, there is a real focus on service improvement and
providing value for money.
- resident involvement: Tower Hamlets
Homes is governed by a board made up of one third residents -
three tenants and two leaseholders - giving
residents a direct say in the running of the housing service.
We also have a range ways to make sure that residents have plenty
of opportunity to get involved and have
their say.
How's Tower Hamlets Homes run?
Tower Hamlets is run by a board of 15:
- 5 councillors
- 5 residents
- 5 independent members (includes people with
expertise in housing, finance and community development)
How were the board members selected?
Councillors were appointed by the council.
Independent and residents members were selected by interview
following adverts in East End Life and in other local, national and
Bengali press. It is envisaged that in the future resident members
will be elected by residents.
What's the board responsible for?
The board is responsible for making sure that
Tower Hamlets Homes meets its objectives – of improving homes and
estates, and delivering a two-star service so that it is eligible
for the additional government funding.