Homes change hands with£300m boost for tenants

Apr 2 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

MORE than 15,000 Liverpool council houses have been handed over to a new not-for-profit organisation, allowing a £300m improvement programme to start.

Liverpool Mutual Homes (LMH) will now run the homes in a move that affects 18,000 tenants – their homes will be upgraded over the next five years.

Last week councillors were told the transfer deadline of April 1 had been delayed due to “technical reasons”.

But yesterday LMH said the transfer documents had been signed on Monday by the organisation’s chairman Bill Lacey and chief executive Steve Coffey.

Opposition councillors last night claimed the transfer had been rushed through.

The transfer has also caused a row with the Unite union which is taking legal action over the way around 14 employees were transferred from Liverpool Enterprise to contractors for LMH.

Peter Clee, regional industrial organiser for Unite, said the workers, ranging from plasters to managers, were told with one day’s notice they were to move from their base in Aintree to Preston, Wigan, and Speke.

Mr Clee said the workers had been left with no option but to obey the instruction and had started work from their new bases yesterday, but that the union was taking legal action. LMH could not be contacted for comment on this particular issue.

The new social landlord is committed to delivering a huge long-term investment in tenant homes and housing services.

LMH has promised to exceed the Government’s Decent Homes standard (a minimum level which houses should meet to be habitable).

It has promised to spend more than £1m a week in housing, install 50 new central heating systems every week in the first year and fit new windows in 50 homes every week in the first year.

LMH also plans to spend four times what the council has been dedicating to repairs, and clear a two-year backlog.

Mr Coffey, said: “The tenants and the staff at LMH have been working hard towards this day.

“Now that we have the green light, we can start work.

“We will begin improving homes and tackling the backlog of repairs immediately and tenants will see this happening.

“Our suppliers and contractors are all ready to go and everyone is determined to deliver housing services of the highest possible quality.

“We will continue to work very closely with Liverpool City Council in a number of practical ways which will ensure that whole neighbourhoods and communities will feel the regeneration benefits of our investment in tenant homes.”

davidbartlett