Quality Mark Launched for Older People's Housing
8th May 2012
A pilot scheme has been launched in Doncaster to help older people who are moving home find ones that better cater for their needs.
The Lifetime Assessed Scheme is a quality mark which estate agents can apply to properties either being sold privately or for rent, which are judged as more suitable for older people.
The scheme is based on the Exemplar Accommodation Standards that Doncaster Council has developed for extra care housing, as part of its new smarter ways of working with its partners, in this case local estate agents. The Lifetime Assessed Scheme takes a number of those standards and applies them to private homes and homes for rental.
The standards include:
The scheme, currently on a 12 month pilot with estate agent Grice and Hunter in the company's Doncaster and Epworth offices, has been created by Doncaster Council's Strategic Housing Department, who have worked collaboratively with a focus group of older people, who act as a sounding board to provide advice to the Council's Housing Team on older people's housing issues.
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Green Deal Delivery Partner Sought by NE Group of Councils
11th May 2012
A group of local authorities in the north-east, comprising Darlington, Durham, Newcastle City, Northumberland and South Tyneside, have formed a partnership to make full use of the Government's green deal energy efficiency scheme.
The green deal gives households the opportunity to get energy efficiency work carried out and repay the cost of the work using savings on their energy bills.
In addition, the £1.3 billion a year ECO fund, which is paid for by energy companies, will be used to subsidise work that would otherwise be too expensive to be carried out under the green deal.
The partnership, Warm Up North, is now looking for delivery partner to run the green deal scheme and recently held an awareness day to attract organisations and groups that might be interested.
Warm Up North has a target of improving the energy efficiency of between 10,000 and 15,000 homes within three years from when it launches in 2013.
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Hammersmith & Fulham Shake Up Allocations Policies
14th May 2012
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has unveiled a range of measures that will radically change the way that social housing is allocated and tenancies granted in the borough.
The proposed new scheme of allocation will give a greater priority to those who are working, those in training leading to employment and those perceived as making a significant contribution to the community, e.g. ex-service personnel and foster carers.
The Council is also proposing that applicants with an income (or combined income) which is greater than £40,200, will generally not be eligible to access the housing register. Instead, they will be offered advice on other housing options including joining the Council's HomeBuy Register.
The proposed new system will mean that access to the housing register will be restricted to those that have a local connection to the borough together with a clear housing need. Those who do not qualify will still be given a package of advice and assistance about their housing options.
The Council also intends to end the current method of bidding for properties which sees those on the register bid for whatever homes are available. It will be replaced by a system of 'assisted choice' where applicants will be offered a number of housing options.
The Council is proposing fixed-term tenancies of five years for new social housing lettings. This would be reduced to two years in certain cases. Existing tenants will be unaffected by the new proposals, except in some cases where they request a transfer. New tenancies in sheltered accommodation and for those with special housing or health needs would still be on a secure basis.
The Council will continue to provide accommodation for vulnerable homeless people but there will no longer be an automatic link between a homelessness application and a social housing tenancy. Instead, the Council will assist homeless people into the private housing sector.
