Housing transfer

Introduction

What is housing transfer?

Housing transfer is where a Council transfers the ownership and management of tenants homes to a housing association.

Housing associations are not-for-profit, housing organisations. They are regulated by the Housing Corporation and inspected by the Audit Commission.

North West Leicestershire District Council is proposing to transfer tenants homes to a new stand alone housing association - North West Leicestershire Homes. This decision has been taken following consultation with tenants.

Transfer will only take place if the majority of tenants, voting in an independent ballot vote to transfer to the new association.

Meeting tenants wishes
All Councils are required by the Government to bring tenants' homes up to the 'Decent Homes Standard' by 2010. In order to reach the standard, investment and improvements are required to homes.

The Council cannot afford to bring its homes up to the modern standard tenants in the district want to see, which includes more improvements than the basic Decent Homes Standard.

Transfer would bring in the investment needed to take the homes up to modern standards and to improve the housing service.

Transfer would mean a £75.2 million programme of repairs and improvements over five years.

Strict government rules mean that councils cannot borrow the large sums of money needed to bring homes up to the Decent Homes Standard.

Housing associations are governed by different rules to the Council, which means they can borrow the money to carry out the work the homes need and to improve services.

For every £1 in rent that the Council collects this year will have to give 32p of it back to the government. For every £1 a housing association collects in rent, they can keep that money and invest it all into improving tenants' homes.

The Council feels that the best way to meet tenant expectations and at least maintain the housing service at its current level is to transfer management and ownership of tenants' homes to North West Leicestershire Homes.

Remember - the Council can only transfer its council housing if the majority of tenants vote 'yes' in the ballot of all secure and introductory tenants later this summer.

When it comes to the ballot, only those tenants whose names are on the current tenancy held by the Council will be issued with a ballot paper. Joint tenants will each receive a vote. To check that your tenancy details are up to date, contact the Councils' housing assistants on 01530 454493 or 454660.