Council Housing Company Submits MMC Scheme For Planning

Barnet Homes will use modular system developed by architect RCKa. Council-owned housing company Barnet Homes has submitted plans drawn up by architect RCKa for 47 modular homes on the Broadfields Estate in Edgware. The homes will be built using RCKa’s own “Common Home” system – a set of house types based on Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), and specifically developed by the architect to minimise construction wastage, cost and unnecessary complexity in the design and construction of new homes. Read more on the Housing Today website.

https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/council-housing-company-submits-mmc-scheme-for-planning/5107491.article

London ALMO Launches Letting Agent

The Barnet Group has set up the agent as a subsidiary, called Bumblebee. It will operate online only, with all profits set to be reinvested in the group’s other services. According to Bumblebee’s website, tenants will not be charged any fees apart from a £350 holding fee, which will then be offset against an advance payment of one month’s rent, plus a deposit. The Barnet Group is made up of Barnet Homes, which manages the council’s housing stock; Opendoor Homes, its housing association; recruiting arm, TGB Flex; and social care provider, Your Choice Barnet. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fM95KN_byjgJ:https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/london-almo-launches-letting-agent-56413+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&safe=vss

Empty Home Owners Offered £25,000 to Renovate

A London borough is offering empty property owners up to £25,000 to restore their homes - if they make the dwellings available to social housing tenants.

Barnet Council is offering the cash to help cover the cost of renovations if the property has been empty for at least six months and has fallen into disrepair. In return for the assistance the refurbished properties must then be made available for housing Barnet Homes - the council's ALMO - tenants for at least three years.  Property owners will receive a guaranteed rental income through the length of the tenancy. Read more on 24dash.

Welfare Changes: Explanatory Video

Barnet Homes - which manages 15,000 properties on behalf of Barnet Council - has produced a short film to explain the under-occupancy rules that will reduce housing benefit payments for hundreds of the borough's residents from April 1.  The film - 'Benefit changes: What you need to know' - sets out how the imminent bedroom tax will affect people and what options are available to them to cover any shortfall in their rent, such as advice on exchanging homes.  The film also covers the benefit cap and the advent of Universal Credit.  View the film on youtube by clicking on the Barnet Homes logo below.

Under-Occupation Clause in Council's New Fixed-Term Tenancies

The London borough of Barnet believes it is the first local authority to sign tenants up to new fixed-term tenancies - of between two and five years - but warns they will not normally be renewed where a tenant is under-occupying by one room or more.  The Conservative-run authority - through its 15,000-home ALMO, Barnet Homes - plans to offer single people under the age of 25 (excluding care leavers), introductory tenancies of one year followed by tenancies which will be reviewed every two years.  This, despite the new regulatory framework for social housing in England stipulating that tenancies below five years should be offered in "exceptional circumstances". The majority of new tenants in Barnet, however, will be offered 12 month introductory tenancies followed by a flexible tenancy of five years.  Read more on the borough of Barnet website.

ALMO Offers Tenants Up to £29,000 to Buy Open Market Homes

Barnet’s council tenants are being offered a helping hand to buy a home of their own in a campaign by north London social landlord Barnet Homes. Tenants who want to buy a home of their choice on the open market could receive a maximum cash grant from Barnet Homes of £29,000 towards their property purchase anywhere in the UK.  The campaign, which has £400,000 available to fund grants until April 2013, is designed to help increase the supply of homes to rent to families in housing need in the borough.  Applications for the cash incentive grants are being accepted now and are given on a first come first served basis. The grant does not have to be repaid.  Tenants could get:

• £18,000 for tenancies between two and five years with two or more bedrooms

• £26,000 for tenancies longer than five years with two bedrooms

• £29,000 for tenancies longer than five years with three bedrooms or more.  

Read more on the Barnet Homes website.

ALMO Takes Over Council's Homelessness Services

North London ALMO Barnet Homes has taken on responsibility for additional housing services from Barnet Council.  The transfer is one of only two instances in London where housing needs and resources services are being passed from a council to an ALMO.  The ALMO - which manages 15,000 homes on behalf of the council - will now be responsible for advising customers on housing issues, preventing homelessness wherever possible, and assessing whether those who have (or are about to) become homeless are eligible for housing in the private or social housing sector.  It will also become responsible for maintaining the supply of these properties and for managing temporary accommodation.  Read more on the Barnet Homes website.

ALMO Takes On Extra Council Services

A North London ALMO is set to become the first in the country to take on additional council services following a landmark agreement with Barnet Council, which will also see it take on additional housing services. Barnet Homes will take responsibility for housing needs and resources services from 1 April 2012 and will also set up a new subsidiary to take on adult social care services from the council. Under the agreement, Barnet Homes will become responsible for advising customers on housing issues and assessing whether those who have, or about to, become homeless are eligible for housing in the private or social housing sector. They will also become responsible for maintaining the supply of these properties and for managing temporary accommodation. The switch of responsibility means that people will deal with one organisation only from the point of becoming homeless through to being housed. It will also cut costs by reducing duplication of tasks between Barnet Council and Barnet Homes. Read more on the Barnet Homes website.

ALMO's £200m Repairs Contracts

North London social landlord Barnet Homes has awarded contracts worth more than £200 million to seven firms to maintain its council homes, blocks and estates over a 10-year period. The ALMO, which manages 15,000 homes on behalf of Barnet Council, advertised lots covering a wide range of repairs and specialist maintenance jobs, such as asbestos removal and lift maintenance. Companies were invited to tender to provide these services from April 2012. Tenders were weighted at 60 per cent quality and 40 per cent price. Read more on the Barnet Homes website.