East Kent Housing Ditched As Councils Take Back Control Of 17,000 Homes

Councils have taken back control of about 17,000 homes which were formerly under the management of scandal-hit East Kent Housing. Canterbury, Folkestone and Hythe, Dover and Thanet authorities will now bring the day-to-day running of their properties in-house. Seventy new jobs have been created across the four districts as a result of the changes. East Kent Housing (EKH) was at the centre of a scandal in 2019, when it was discovered its management of properties was riddled with systemic failings. Thousands of safety rulings had been flouted, and the councils' chief executives admitted they "had no choice" but to axe the board and work towards dismantling the operator. Read more on Kentonline.

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/councils-take-back-control-of-17-000-homes-234785/

East Kent Housing Staff And Services Set To Transfer To Councils

The staff and the services of a scandal-hit social housing firm are set to transfer to the four councils that own it across Kent on September 30. East Kent Housing manages more than 17,000 properties on behalf of councils in Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, and Thanet. The decision to break it up was made by councillors at all four councils at the start of the year following a consultation with tenants. It was prompted by a series of health and safety failings discovered at some of the properties EKH was managing for the councils. Read more at Kentonline.

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/date-set-for-takeover-of-scandal-hit-housing-firm-226241/

Chief Executive Of Under-Fire ALMO Quits

The chief executive of an ALMO rocked by health and safety concerns has quit after its parent councils took over the board last month. Deborah Upton has stepped down from her role at East Kent Housing (EKH). EKH, which manages around 17,000 homes on behalf of Canterbury, Dover, Thanet and Folkestone & Hythe councils, is set for closure with all four authorities agreeing an intention to take back management of their housing stock. An independent report into problems at the ALMO concluded it is “fundamentally broken” and suggested the “failure in leadership” to fix safety concerns effectively was “unforgivable”. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/chief-executive-of-under-fire-almo-quits-64609

Councils Sack ALMO Board

Four Kent councils have today dismissed the board of their ALMO and taken it under direct control in response to major health and safety failings. Canterbury, Dover, Thanet and Folkestone & Hythe councils said they acted after an independent report into problems at East Kent Housing (EKH) concluded that it is “fundamentally broken”. The authorities’ chief executives will now make up the EKH board. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/councils-sack-almo-board-following-health-and-safety-failures-64512?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

East Kent Housing Likely To Be Ditched

Thanet council is proposing to ditch arrangements with East Kent Housing and bring its social housing service back under authority control. Cabinet members are expected to approve moves to put the plans out to council property residents for consultation next month with a report coming back to council early next year. The action comes on the heels of revelations earlier this year that hundreds of council property tenants across east Kent had been awaiting gas safety certificates due to overdue Landlord Gas Safety Register assessments. It then emerged that there were also grave concerns over potential further issues with electrical certification, lifts, fire safety and legionella testing. Read more on the Isle of Thanet News website.

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2019/10/09/east-kent-housing-likely-to-be-ditched-and-housing-brought-back-under-thanet-council-control/

HSE Investigating After ALMO Left Hundreds Of Gas Safety Checks Uncompleted

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating after an ALMO failed to carry out hundreds of gas safety checks on time. East Kent Housing (EKH), which manages around 17,000 homes on behalf of Canterbury, Dover, Thanet and Folkestone & Hythe councils, has issued an apology to residents. Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury, claimed in parliament on Monday that 544 homes had not been “regularly subjected to vital landlord gas safety assessments” by EKH. EKH said that 384 homes had expired gas safety certificates as of 7 June. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/hse-investigating-after-almo-left-hundreds-of-gas-safety-checks-uncompleted-61964