Happier tenants, more decent homes, affordable housing and fewer people without homes…
These are just some of the results of the successful partnership between Wigan Council and the company created to manage the borough’s stock of social housing, Wigan and Leigh Homes.
The current contact between the council and WALH began in 2007 and runs for five years. And recently the council’s ruling Cabinet received a progress report into the performance of Wigan and Leigh Housing at the half-way stage.
The Cabinet heard the review findings hailed the performance of the housing company as ‘good’ overall and ‘excellent’ in places.
In terms of performance, the report noted that tenants were happy with the service they receive. Satisfaction rates currently run at 87 per cent – one of the highest such figures in the country.
It also noted that the company had achieved its target for the nationally set decent homes target and now 97 per cent meet this national standard.
The report also highlights Wigan and Leigh Housing’s commitment to building more affordable homes in the borough – currently over 100 new properties are being built and recognises the progress made in speeding up repair times so vacant houses can be re-let faster.
Finally the report identifies Wigan and Leigh Housing’s contribution to reducing the number of homeless people or people in temporary housing in the borough – which has fallen from 60 in 2007 to 20 as of last December.
The report recommended that the current contractual arrangements between the council and Wigan and Leigh Housing should continue and, based on its success, that the company remains the preferred service provider.
The Cabinet agreed to accept the proposals and extend the contract with Wigan and Leigh Housing.
Wigan Council’s Cabinet Champion for Healthy Communities, Cllr Keith Cunliffe, says: “It is fair to say we are very pleased with the performance of Wigan and Leigh Housing and are really grateful to everyone involved with the organisation for the tremendous positive impact they are having on life for ordinary people in our borough.
“The report paints of picture of consistently improving performance with many areas where we are amongst the best in the country.
“When we embarked on the challenge on creating the organisation in 2002 we new it would be a big task but we had the commitment to make it work.
“It is a great example of working together in partnership and I think it is fair to say the company has surpassed our expectations.”
Marjorie Marsden, Tenant Board Member and Deputy Chair of Wigan and Leigh Housing adds: “We are delighted Wigan Council has agreed to our request to extend our contract for managing the council's housing stock.
“We have a strong relationship with the council. They have kindly listened to our views as tenants and supported us in improving the housing services our staff deliver for some 23,000 council tenants. Over the past two years this relationship with the council has really strengthened. Each year the council consults us on the options for rent rises and what to spend the rent money on. The council along with our local MPs supported us in persuading the government to reduce their planned rent rises. The lower rent rises, along with our careful budgeting, has enabled the Tenant Board Members to recommend the introduction of a multi-million pound-boiler replacement programme, which is helping our tenants save money on fuel bills."
“The security this agreement gives us will allow us to plan ahead and do more on delivering our vision of better homes and brighter futures.”
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