Super landlords our First Choice!

COUNCIL tenants have given a thumbs up to their First Choice Homes Oldham managers and want them to continue as their landlord.

But they also want FCHO to become a housing association to run the 12,000 council houses and flats, with the potential to invest millions in their homes.

Tenants on the housing options panel will tell Oldham Council that the homes should be transferred to a new Registered Social Landlord and that should be First Choice Homes Oldham.

They say it will create greater local accountability and knowledge, and provide long-term future investment in homes, neighbourhoods and services. It follows a stock condition survey of 3,000 tenants’ homes, looking at current conditions, repairs and improvements, double glazing, doors, heating, fences and gutters.

The review was needed because four years of Government funding to meet the Decent Homes standard ended six months ago.

The grant worked out at an average of £5,500 per property, but other towns who applied later got three times that amount of funding.

Oldham Council says it does not have enough money to manage or invest in homes in the future.

Cabinet member for community services and housing, Councillor John McCann, said: “Becoming a housing association gives access to serious money and it would be able to borrow against the 12,000 homes. It also means we keep local control over people’s homes.”

The housing options panel, was made up of six tenants, five First Choice Homes Oldham staff and five councillors.

Panel chairman and council tenant, Kevin McCarthy, said: “We looked at all the investment options open to the council, took part in visits and most importantly, we listened to the excellent feedback we received from tenants.”

The recommendations go to cabinet on November 24, followed by council on December 10, then to the Government Office North West for approval.