Liverpool Mutual Homes (LMH) became the newest registered housing association in Liverpool, following the transfer of the City Council's 15,000 plus homes.
LMH is a not-for-profit, tenant-led organisation. Its board is made up of housing specialists, tenants, councillors and independent members.
Being tenant-led, LMH differs from many other housing associations. Tenants form the majority on the Management Board (a total of eight places) of LMH and lead on how services are managed.
LMH has also started setting up local area boards, made up of tenants and leaseholders. The local area boards will have a major role in shaping investment plans, setting standards and monitoring contractors and service delivery.
As a result of the stock transfer, the resources are available to repair, improve and maintain homes and to provide a high quality of service.
The new association has a declared commitment to ensure that all homes meet a high 'LMH Standard' which exceed's the Government's 'decent homes' standard. Planned programmes include double glazing, new kitchens and bathrooms, replacement front and back doors and central heating systems.
Additional areas of focus such as environmental work will also addressed. LMH has also started to deal with the significant backlog of repairs which has arisen over the past few years.
As well as improving homes, the significantly improved standards of energy efficiency will reduce heating and energy bills for tenants.
A report was released by the accountants Mazars LLP, which highlights concerns that the assumptions used by Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) to calculate values for the second stage transfer of housing stock may be unfair to tenants.
The report confirms fears from community controlled housing associations (CCHAs) that GHA's current valuation assumptions are contrary to the principle of financial neutrality.
If not revised, they will be unfair to the tenants of the 27,000 homes being managed by CCHAs over which second stage transfer proposals were submitted to GHA in September 2007. The report has now been submitted to the GHA Board for consideration.
Lyn Ewing, Chair of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations which represents the CCHAs, said:
"CCHAs have long held the belief that if second stage transfer was to take place on this basis of GHA's valuation assumptions, it would be prejudicial to transferring tenants and contrary to the notion of fairness to all tenants. The report confirms this is the case and suggests areas that need to be re-examined.
"I hope that the GHA Board will review its valuation assumptions when it meets to consider the implications of this report because it is vital that GHA tenants get a fair deal when their homes are eventually transferred.
"I would also like to make it clear that CCHAs are not looking for any more money from the Government to achieve second stage transfer because we believe there are currently enough resources available to deliver it at fair valuations."
Glasgow City Council transferred its 81,000 social rented houses to GHA in March 2003, following a successful ballot of tenants. So far, none of their homes have been transferred to community ownership.
Residents living on the Bolney Meadows estate in Stockwell gained a new landlord, with the transfer of the management of their homes from Lambeth Council to Presentation Housing Association.
The transfer opens the way for a £24 million refurbishment programme that will see homes upgraded to a standard far exceeding the Decent Homes Standard over the next five years. There is a further commitment to spend approximately £42 million in the following 25 years to ensure that the estate does not fall into disrepair.
Planned works include new kitchens and bathrooms, rewiring throughout and individually controlled central heating boilers. In addition to the upgrade and refurbishment of properties on the estate, residents will also benefit from a new community centre and a new local estate office.
