HEREFORDSHIRE COUNCIL TO
HEREFORDSHIRE HOUSING STOCK TRANSFER (2002)

Herefordshire Housing officially took over the ownership and management of the Council's 5,698 homes on Monday November 25th 2002 marking the start of a new phase of housing in the county.

The following housing stock transfer information is remaining on this page for a while for the benefit of visitors who would like to read details of the process.

Herefordshire Council's Housing Stock Transfer Ballot.

The statistics have been received from the Electoral Reform Society for the housing stock transfer ballot which was recently carried out, they are:

Total number of eligible tenants = 7,251
Total number of ballot papers returned = 5,267
Overall rate of participation = 72.6%
Total number of spoilt blank ballot papers = 14
Therefore total number of valid votes counted = 5,253

A message from Council Leader Terry James

"Herefordshire Council believes that the transfer of housing would give a massive boost to homes and services, whilst preserving your key rights and affordable rents. However we fully understand that many of you have been tenants with the Council for many years - and feel safe with the Council. You know what level of service you can expect.

We have done our best over the years and have spent every penny we are able to on the housing service. In fact we are proud of our record of providing tenants with a good service using the limited money available.
But we need to do better. Like many other Councils we do not have the money to plan for the future and provide you with the standard of homes you have the right to expect. The reality is that, if homes stay with the Council, we would face increasing financial problems in the future. Government rules stop the Council borrowing all the money it needs to spend on your homes in the future, to bring them up to a standard we, and you would expect.
The Council will not be able to deliver the same level of planned repairs and improvements that Herefordshire Housing would be able to the future.

Almost £85 million needs to be spent on homes to bring them up to modern standards over 10 years, but the Council would only be able to spend £45 million on them. The Council also knows that £24 million needs to be spent on the concrete homes over the next 15 years, but it could only raise £4 million.

We also know that anti-social behaviour needs tackling on estates, but do not have the money to improve on the way we currently deal with these problems.
Transfer is a big decision for you. Indeed it was a big decision for the Council to put forward the proposals.
We sincerely and honestly believe that this is the best way open to you and us to get the much needed money to improve your homes now and in the future.
The decision is yours. We would only ask you to read the information sent to you and then use your vote"

Herefordshire Housing's promises
on repairs and improvements

Herefordshire Housing would carry out £82 million of repairs and improvements in the first 10 years after transfer, if it goes ahead.

YEARS 0 -5

It would carry out the following work, where needed, in the first five years:

Modernise around 2,500 kitchens

Modernise around 2,000 bathrooms

Install uPVC double glazed windows to around 1,500 homes

Install central heating to around 1,500 homes

New double glazed front and back doors to around 4,000 homes

YEARS 6 - 10

Investment would not stop there with Herefordshire Housing. In the second five years Herefordshire Housing would:

Modernise 3,500 kitchens

Modernise 4,000 bathrooms

Install uPVC double glazed windows to around 1,000 homes

Install central heating in around 2,500 homes

Install double glazed front and back doors to around 4,000 homes

Herefordshire Housing would not just bring the homes up to the modern standards you have the right to expect. It would have the money to make sure the homes are kept up to the same high standard in the future.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO RENTS

Some tenants have said they are worried about what would happen to rents if the transfer goes ahead. Here's a rents re-cap:

New Government rent rules
In December 2000 the Government introduced new rules to create a fairer rent system. These rules say that by 2012 rents should be at similar levels whether you rent your home from the Council or from a Registered Social Landlord like Herefordshire Housing, the proposed new landlord. This is called rent convergence.

Rents in the first five years after transfer
If transfer goes ahead tenants would get a rent guarantee for each of the first five years limiting annual rent increases to no more than inflation plus 2.25%. The Council can give no such rent guarantee.

Rent in years six to ten after transfer
Although Herefordshire Housing can't legally give you a rent guarantee for longer than five years, rents would still be affordable after the five-year guarantee was up. For years six to 10 after transfer Herefordshire Housing would aim to increase rents by an average of 2.3% above the rate of inflation each year; to meet the Government's target rent

Year 11 onwards
The Government's rules say that once the target rent is reached, in year 10 after transfer, average rent rises must be limited to inflation plus 0.5%.

In Summary
So because of the Government's new rent rules you would pay similar rent whether you rent your home from the Council or from Herefordshire Housing .
The key difference is that Herefordshire Housing would be able to carry out £82 million of repairs and improvements to the homes in the first ten years after transfer to bring them up to the modern standards tenants deserve. And Herefordshire Housing would have the money to keep them up to the same modern standards in the future.

An extra £7 million for homes and services.
Herefordshire Housing would have an extra £7 million A YEAR to spend on improving homes, estates and services. This is because Council tenants in Herefordshire have to subsidise the cost of Housing Benefit nationally.This amounts to 48p in every pound or an average of £19 per week from every tenant.There are different rules for Registered Social Landlords such as Herefordshire Housing. Unlike Councils, they receive all of the Housing Benefit costs back from the Government. So if transfer goes ahead you will have the satisfaction of knowing that all of your rent money is being spent on your housing service.

How transfer has worked elsewhere.
Housing transfer is not a new idea. in fact over 140 transfer have taken place since the first transfer in 1988. These transfers have involved more than 500,000 homes and brought in around £7.4 billion of private finance to be spent on repairs and improvements. New research from the National Housing Federation shows that an overwhelming majority of tenants are satisfied with the services provided by their transfer landlord.
In the survey of over 92,000 tenants of Councils, housing associations and new landlords (like Herefordshire Housing would be) the results showed:

80% of tenants who transferred from Councils were satisfied with their new landlord.

85% were satisfied with their accomodation.

81% were satisfied with the area they lived in.

85% said that staff were helpful when contacted.

 

If you wish to contact the Head of Herefordshire Housing the address is below.

Mr. T Jaques (Chief Executive)
Herefordshire Housing Ltd
Legion Way
Off Roman Road
Hereford
HR1 1LN

Telephone (01432) 384001

Central Telephone No. (01432) 384000
Central Fax No. (01432) 384199
Email: info@herefordshirehousing.org.uk

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