North East Council Confirms Decision To Close ALMO

 A council in the North East with around 19,000 homes has resolved to shut down its ALMO and bring housing management in house. Gateshead Council’s cabinet agreed to scrap The Gateshead Housing Company (TGHC). The authority said the move will ensure its housing stock is maintained “as effectively and efficiently as possible” and help to “deliver a new vision for all the council’s housing functions”. It follows a consultation with residents, which indicated strong support for the proposal to shut TGHC with a 12% response rate. Repairs and maintenance emerged as the most important priority for the vast majority of residents. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/north-east-council-confirms-decision-to-close-almo-68662?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Council Gains Resident Backing For ALMO Closure

Gateshead Council said a consultation on scrapping The Gateshead Housing Company (TGHC) found that 93% of tenants and leaseholders who responded were in favour of the plans. The council’s cabinet will meet on 17 November to “consider the next steps” following the consultation, which received just under 2,500 responses. Councillors agreed in principle to close TGHC in March, having placed the ALMO under review in 2019. Putting the ALMO under review came after the Regulator of Social Housing deemed the council to have breached the Home Standard on fire, asbestos and electrical safety failings. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/north-east-council-gains-resident-backing-for-almo-closure-68331#:~:text=A%20council%20in%20the%20North,19%2C000%20homes%20back%20in%20house.&text=Gateshead%20Council%20said%20a%20consultation,in%20favour%20of%20the%20plans 

Social Housing In Gateshead Could Be Brought Back Under The Council's Control

Housing services in Gateshead could be coming back under council control. Gateshead Council's cabinet has agreed to consult on proposals to bring housing services back inhouse. This follows an independent review of housing in the borough, currently provided by Gateshead Housing Company. This means the council is now beginning a formal consultation on bringing back responsibility for the management and maintenance of the housing stock to the authority. Coun John Adams, cabinet member for housing said: “The Gateshead Housing Company was set up in 2004 to help unlock funding through the Government’s Decent Homes Programme which has now ended.” Read more on the Gateshead Chronicle website.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/social-housing-gateshead-could-brought-17978719

ALMO Under Review Following Home Standard Breach

Gateshead Council, which owns around 19,000 homes, agreed last week to immediately update its management agreement with The Gateshead Housing Company (TGHC) and set a two-year deadline to decide the organisation’s future. In April the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) revealed that Gateshead Council had breached the Home Standard by failing to carry out fire risk assessments properly, as well as asbestos surveys and electrical safety checks. Measures in the new management agreement include new performance metrics for TGHC, covering a range of safety and housing management areas, plus a new regime of monitoring meetings with the council. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/almo-under-review-following-home-standard-breach-62400?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Council to Keep ALMO

Councillors have voted in favour of The Gateshead Housing Company continuing to manage council homes in the borough. The decision comes following a detailed assessment and extensive research into the potential for short and long-term financial savings.  The decision was made at a meeting of Gateshead Council on September 20.  Alongside the research into potential savings and improvements, an extensive consultation exercise with tenants and leaseholders has been carried out. Customers were asked for their views on whether they would prefer the management of their homes to be directly under Gateshead Council or to continue under The Gateshead Housing Company. The consultation showed that 71 per cent of respondents were in favour of continued management by The Gateshead Housing Company.  Read more on the Gateshead Council website.