Decent Estates - Archive Only

Decent Homes and Estates Programme

About the Decent Homes programme

See also The Decent Estates Programme

A £100 million refurbishment programme to meet the decent homes standard set by the government, was completed in 2006, 4 years ahead of the governments deadline. Although funding for the programme has been reduced considerably compared to previous years, we are committed to maintaining properties to a high standard, and are continuing to roll out the Decent Homes programme. A large part of the programme will concentrate on the renewal of roofs, windows, boilers, electrical, kitchens and bathrooms.

Approved Capital Investment Programme 2007-2008

Each year, we produce a revised programme for the next 12 months

Approved Capital Investment Programme. provides information for all residents, and a schedule of the works that might affect

Leaseholders is also available.

Revisions are made following consultation with the Hounslow Federation of Tenants and Leaseholders Associations ( HFTRA), tenants and residents associations, area forums, individual residents and Hounslow Homes staff.

The programme also includes information about aids and adaptations to properties and digital reception systems (in preparation for the switch off of the analogue system). The new systems will give residents connected to communal aerials access to freeview channels.

We aim to start the work at the begining of each year, provided there have been no other considerations, such as an issue arises following consultation with residents, a technical problem arises or there is an unforeseen emergency.

How we are doing

You can see how many properties have benefited from the rolling programme by taking a look at our Decent Homes Progress report which shows the number of properties where work has been completed, as well as the number of properties that we expect to comple in the coming years.

Contacts

Tenants and Leaseholders will be contacted before any works are started. You can also contact the Tenant Liaison Officer for your area should you have any queries about work being carried out to your home or to the block/estate where you live, or if you would like to know how any work we carry out will affect you, how long it will take and whats involved.

Always ask for ID

Residents are advised to always ask for ID before allowing someone to enter their home. All Hounslow Homes staff and their contractors carry ID cards with their name and photo.

Should anyone visit your home, you should ask to see his or her ID. If you are in any doubt, ask the caller to wait outside while you call us to verify their identity.

Decent Estates Programme

In carrying out the Decent Estates Programme, we aim to improve the general standard of the buildings and environment in which residents live, which is outside our Decent Homes programme. It will tackle stairways, lobbies, refuse disposal, gardens and communal spaces, with the aim of creating a high quality and welcoming living space for residents that will be practical, easy to maintain and equal to standards in the private sector. We also aim to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Deciding where to start

Working closely with HFTRA we have identified a shortlist of blocks and estates that need work carried out to them. The type of things we look at include:

Current problems on the estate or block
Potential solutions to these problems
How the estates could be developed/improved
Possible benefits to residents of these improvements

As with all projects, we want to start improving estates that need the most help first. To help us decide which estates have priority, we put together a list of criteria and mark each estate based on this criteria. The criteria are agreed with residents and HFTRA.

Over time, we hope to make important improvements to all neighbourhoods through the decent estates programme, initiatives to tackle anti-social behaviour and other measures.

We have £8 million to spend on the Decent Estates programme which means that we can make a big difference but obviously have to focus on those areas in the most need. This will mean that residents get the maximum benefit from the resources available.

What happens next?

When a property is identified for refurbishment works, residents will receive a video and information pack from Hounslow Homes explaining the process i.e. the nature of the works, the length of time it will take and the level of disruption it may cause.

Tenants and HFTRA will have the opportunity to tell us their views on what improvements are needed at meetings we will arrange, and will also have a choice on how the improvements will look.

Consultation

You will be contacted and consulted before any works are carried out to the property. You will not be visited by anyone other than the Tenant Liaison Officer from Hounslow Homes, or the Resident Liaison Officer from the relevant contractor. Should you be visited ALWAYS ask to see the person's ID card. If you have any doubts about their identity, you should ask the caller to wait outside while you verify their identity with Hounslow Homes.

Who to talk to

Any comments that you wish to make about this programme can be made through the HFTRA capital working group on 020 8569 5823.

Tenants and Leaseholders can talk to Hounslow Homes Tenant Liaison Officers about:

Anything concerning the work and how it may affect you
Exactly what work will be done and how long it will take

Area Tenant Liaison Officers

Tenant Liaison Officer East (Chiswick & Brentford)

Philip Kerslake,

Telephone - 020 8583 4341,

e-mail - philip.kerslake@hounslowhomes.org.uk

or write to - Philip Kerslake, Hounslow Homes, 58-59 Brentford High Street, Brentford TW8 0AH

Tenant Liaison Officer Central (Hounslow, Isleworth, Heston & Cranford)

Sadhna Mann

Telephone - 020 8583 6731

e-mail sadhna.mann@hounslowhomes.org.uk

or write to Sadhna Mann, Hounslow Homes, Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow, TW3 4DN

Tenant Liaison Officer West (Feltham, Bedfont & Hanworth)

David Gollings

Telephone - 020 8583 3908

e-mail david.gollings@hounslowhomes.org.uk

or write to David Gollings, Hounslow Homes, St Catherines House, 2 Hanworth Road, Feltham, TW13 5AB