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£1,000 for tenants to downsize
Reporter: BEATRIZ AYALA
Date online: 24 August 2010
FAMILIES looking to downsize their home can take advantage of a new incentive scheme.
Working with First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) and a range of housing associations, Oldham Council is looking for people who want smaller, easier-to-run homes.
FCHO and the borough’s housing associations are prepared to offer a financial support package of up to £1,000 to council house or housing association tenants who want to downsize.
The money is to help with the move into a smaller property. As an alternative to financial support, housing providers can instead assign a dedicated support officer to help arrange the move.
The four-week notice period may also be waived for people wishing to move quickly.
The initiative has been launched to coincide with the release of homes refurbished by Housing 21 under the PFI2 Project, with a number of bungalows now completed.
These properties have been fully refurbished with new kitchens and bathrooms, have been redecorated throughout and fitted with new carpets, heating systems and boilers.
Councillor John McCann, cabinet member for regeneration and environment, said nobody would be forced to move, but he added: “There are many benefits to downsizing, not least the savings that people can make in terms of running costs.”
Householders living in a council or a housing association property who are interested in the scheme should call 0161-770 4766 for further information.
Comments
My mum has been in the same FCHO home for nearly 40 years. She's interested in downsizing as she lives in a fairly large 3 bed house with gardens.She's now widowed and all children have left.She said she would like to move to a 2 bed house/flat so she can still have her grandchildren stay.She was told she can only have a 1 bed property as she is alone.So naturally she's now staying in her 3 bed home.Surely FCHO can use common sense rather than cash incentives.Silly situation really.
@shedblue, it's not common sense by FCHO that's needed it's for your mother to realise that she has no right to demand more than she needs. She should be made to leave the 3 bedroom house she is in. I know of another such woman who lives in a 3 bedroom house on her own and has for many years.
I cannot understand why people who are given subsidised housing are allowed to live in properties that are not appropriate to their needs or circumstances.
prodriver - she does not demand a house larger than she needs. she has lived in it since it was built and has spent an awful amount of her own money on it. She should be made to leave?...she has worked all her life and never claimed benefits until she retired. I suppose there are plenty of 20 year olds out there with 3 kids and no jobs would love it. Maybe they should put a bit in first before evicting pensioners who have kept the house in good nick so they can swoop. Get real.
@ ProDriver. Thank goodness you aren't in charge of the housing stock - you'd probably take out little old ladies that have lived in their house for the last 30 years and shoot them because their husband has died. Can you not imagine the stress that such a move will cause to people that have been good members of their community and paid their way over the years. They could be dumped anywhere in the borough - but that's O.K. by you cos it'll make room for families of hooligans living on benefits
No one should be forced to leave their homes unless they are really bad tenants and as there are plenty of those around Prodriver really ought to get that on that band wagon if he his genuinely concerned about the housing shortage.My daughter and her husband both work hard and pay their rent and rates and have to constantly put up with anti social behaviour from tenants who are paying nothing into the system but have enough money to be on the street drinking all night every night.
If someone wants to live in a 3 bedroom house by themselves, let them buy one!! If you live in subsidised social housing, which should be allocated according to number of tenants per house, then I'm sorry but it is hard luck. Why on earth should resources be so inefficiently allocated?
I agree bad tenants should be threatened with eviction.
No one is saying immediate removal, but three months notice and a more suitable place provided is not too hard to understand is it?
The obvious answer is being ignored by most people - FORCE COUNCILS TO BUILD MORE HOUSING - from 1 bed flats right uop to family homes for young, old, couples and families.
Force them to build a minimum number a year based on the size of their waiting list.
And end the Right-To-Buy unless the money is used to build a like replacement within 12 months.
The stock levels of social housing in this country arer now a joke. Even 'capitalist' countries like the USA build proportionally more
We are now the most densely populated country in western europe. Maybe the "open door" immigration policy which Labour operated for years has come back to haunt us? Add the fact that muslim households are much larger than any other religion on average in the UK(statistics.gov.uk), and we find housing associations having to entice people away from their homes to accommodate larger families. Labour has left the UK in a real mess.
Maybe we should move the Queen out of one or more of her homes . . . come to think of it, MPs have rather large homes too, all subsidised by the taxpayer.
It would also be interesting to know just how many council houses in areas like, er, let's say, Saddleworth, have been bought for a hefty discount.
Have Your Say
This is a great idea if people want to down size to a smaller property that’s cheaper to run then it could free up much needed family homes as Oldham has a large waiting list for family homes. Just as long as people are not forced to move it’s great to see housing providers working together for Oldham
By Barros @ 24/08/2010 12:30:12