March 2010 - Adobe PDF - Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

<strong>Stockton</strong> News <strong>March</strong> / April <strong>2010</strong>
Page 11
Tenants have their say
on multi-million pound
housing investment
In the last edition of <strong>Stockton</strong> News
we told you that <strong>Stockton</strong> had been
named as one of six councils to be
offered a place on the Government’s
housing stock transfer programme.
The news puts <strong>Stockton</strong> a step
closer to transferring its Council
homes to a new-style Tristar Homes.
If tenants support the proposal, it
will open the way for a £600 million
investment in modernising 10,500 homes
over the next 30 years – £140 million of it
in the first
five years.
The new-style
Tristar Homes
will deliver
a new and
improved
housing
service to
tackle the
issues which
really matter
to tenants
and the
transfer
would unlock
the money
to get things
done.
Liz Kidd, a
tenant and
chair of the
Housing
Customer
Futures
Group (the
tenant
consultation
group) said:
“This is great
news and
reflects the
massive amount of work tenants and the
Council has done. Transfer will mean
massive investment into our homes and
services and that’s what tenants have told
us they want.”
Before tenants are asked to decide
whether they support transfer, each will
receive an ‘Offer Document’. Shaped
by tenants from across the Borough,
this contains details about the kind of
improvements to homes and services
tenants want to see. It will then be
followed by a 28-day consultation
period where tenants are encouraged to
comment.
Julie Nixon Head of Housing, said: “I
would encourage every tenant to read
the Offer Document and feed back their
comments to the Council. The views of all
tenants are
important to
us and we will
only decide
whether to
hold a formal
tenant ballot
once we
know what
people think.
Transfer is not
a foregone
conclusion.”
During the
consultation
period,
representatives
from both
the Council
and Tristar
will try and
make personal
contact with
every tenant
across the
Borough.
For further
information
please contact
the Council’s
Housing
Futures
Team on freephone 0800 432 0891 or
email housing.futures@stockton.gov.uk
Alternatively Council tenants can contact
the appointed Engage Associates (the
Independent Tenant Advisor) tel. 01845
537145 email info@engage3.org
Help to
repair
your
home
If you are a homeowner
and struggling to keep
your home safe and
comfortable to live in -
an affordable loan from
the Council may be just
what you need.
From 1 April <strong>2010</strong> the
Council will be introducing
a new set of financial
assistance products to help
low income homeowners
who are experiencing
difficulties obtaining loans
from high street Banks or
Building Societies to repair
and maintain their homes.
If you are eligible for help
you could be offered a loan
between £500 and £35,000
through either a low interest
repayment loan, an equity
loan or an interest free loan.
The type of loan offered
depends on the applicants
financial circumstances.
The Council has tried to
make its loans as affordable
as possible which means
there are no loan set up
charges or penalties should
the loan be repaid early.
Those not successful
obtaining a loan will be
offered a free survey of
their home, provided with a
schedule of work and details
of local contractors who can
undertake the work.
If you think you may be
eligible and have lived in
your home for more than
12 months please contact
the Private Sector Housing
Division on( 01642) 527797
for further details.