Council Set To Confirm Plan To Shut ALMO

Manchester City Council’s executive committee is expected to rubber stamp the decision to close Northwards Housing. Northwards manages around 13,000 homes on behalf of the local authority, having been established in 2005. A test of opinion consultation with residents gathered 1,633 votes with 93% indicating their support for the council’s proposal to bring housing management under its direct control. Manchester Council declared its intention to scrap Northwards in June amid concerns over its repairs service and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) finances. The authority’s 30-year HRA business plan is forecast to end up £438m in deficit. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/manchester-city-council-set-to-confirm-plan-to-shut-almo-69148?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Two More Councils Set To Close ALMOs

Kirklees and Manchester councils have declared intentions to scrap their housing management companies and return the service in house. The former currently relies on Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) to run the vast majority of its 22,000 homes. But its Labour cabinet has agreed to start consulting with residents and staff about closing KNH, claiming that the move will aid “better understanding and [address] challenges individuals and communities face”. Manchester Council’s Labour cabinet has completed a review of its ALMO, Northwards Housing, and stated its preference to take back direct control of managing its 13,000 homes. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/two-more-councils-set-to-close-almos-66684