Newcastle City council set up consultation to shape the future of housing in the city

Newcastle City Council are encouraging local residents to take part in a consultation that will help shape the future of housing services in the city.

As part of an ongoing housing review the council are proposing to bring Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) back in-house in a move that will see savings of around £1m a year. Money that could be spent on improving council homes and housing services.

YHN was set up in 2004 to access government funding to improve homes in the city but that funding is no longer available. With changes to regulations, a financially challenged social housing sector and increasing demand for council homes the council believes they need to change the way they deliver housing services so they can continue to meet the residents’ needs now and in the future.

Before making a final decision the council want to know what their tenants and leaseholders and local residents think of the idea. They have identified a range of expected benefits including more joined-up services, improved communication and improved accountability as well as better value for money.

Over the next few days all council tenants and leaseholders will be contacted and asked to respond to the consultation using a dedicated link. Residents who aren’t council tenants or leaseholders can also take part in the consultation online.

The council is also planning a series of public drop-in sessions across the city for all residents. During the sessions local people will be able to find out more about the proposals, ask questions and respond to the consultation survey.

Councillor Paul Frew, cabinet member for Resources at Newcastle City Council, said “Housing is a key priority for the council and we are always looking for ways to deliver a better service to our tenants. YHN has worked through challenging times such as Government imposed austerity and the rampant inflation to provide for over 24,000 household. I want to thank everyone who has been a part of this.

“The financial and regulatory environment has changed and the cabinet feel this is the right time to consider bringing services back in, as other authorities have. We can also see ways in which services can be delivered more effectively and efficiently. We believe in the power of local authority housing to provide for essential needs of our residents, especially at a time of turmoil in the private sector.

“We want to hear from our tenants and other services users about their needs and how they think we can best deliver on these, so I encourage as many as possible to give feedback.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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