When will you be doing work on my house?

A stock condition survey was carried out in 2003, this was based on a 10% survey of out housing stock, this information was used to produce our bid for the additional money we would need to bring our housing stock to a Decent Homes Standard, this data has been updated on an ongoing bases and we are currently carrying out individual property condition surveys to determine the accuracy of the original survey that was carried out. These surveys will determine the condition of the property and we can then plan a programme of work for all our housing stock.

A map of the year-by-year programme will be produced in the near future when we have sufficient data to produce a programme and this will be available on the Web site and will be included in the Housing News letter.

If you are struggling to get this information, please contact the Investment Department on 01509 632539.

Will I have to move out?

For the majority of tenants, NO. Most properties will only require what we call elemental work (kitchen, bathroom, heating etc). There will be some cases where due to circumstances we may have to move you out during the works but we will keep you informed and coordinate with you to make the process as least disruptive as possible.

What type of work will be done on my house?

We will be doing a variety of work to our homes. As our houses already have a mixture of repair work done it is not easy to say exactly what will be done for an area as a whole. The Investment Department will use the data collected from the property condition surveys to determine what work each property needs to have carried out. They will inform the tenants of what work is needed and our Contracting partner will go out and carry out detailed works survey to each of these properties and will inform tenants of the programme work dates. We have set an eligibility criteria, as we don’t want to rip out kitchens and bathrooms that meet the decency standards or have only been fitted recently! Please be assured we will tell tenants what work will be done when we have reviewed the property condition survey.

What about my windows and central heating?

The Decent Homes programme includes window replacement, central heating and some electrical upgrades. Different partners will carry out this work.

• Windows – Wrekin Windows have been replacing the majority of our timber and metal windows over the last few years, we will be putting a programme to replace the remaining windows over the next few years.
• Central Heating – UK Gas Services (through Investment Department). We will be using the data collected from our gas service contract to determine when heating systems need to be programmed for replacement. A liaison officer will visit each tenant included and discuss the work and the date it will be carried out.
• Electrical Upgrades – We are putting together a contract to get all electrical circuits checked, if work is need to upgrade electrics to meet current regulations, the work will be programmed and a liaison officer will visit each tenant and discuss the work and the date it will be carried out.

How long will the work take?

Again, our contracting Partners will tell tenants this depending on what type of work will be done on a property when they carry out the detailed works survey.

Will all the work be done at the same time?

Again, depending on how much work will need to be done on a property, we will coordinate the work to cause you the least disruption and ensure work is carried out to the highest quality. A Liaison Officer will be available for tenants to contact while the work is being carried out and will be able to explain this.

Will you decorate after the work?

Yes, after a new Kitchen or Bathroom has been fitted, we will arrange for decoration, the liaison officer will have a samples of paints and wallpaper that you can choose, the contracting partner will then decorate.

Do I have to have this work done?

As the Decent Homes Programme has been set up to try and get our stock up to a decent standard, it is vital that we get as many people as possible taking up the project. We are therefore making the work compulsory. There will be instances where people are not able to have the work done because of their personal circumstances and the CNH board will look at these cases as and when they occur. Our official line though is that we do need people to allow us access to their homes to get this work done.

Will there be an add-on to my rent?

No.

How can I get more involved in the programme?

Tenants and Leaseholders are already represented on the CNH Board and the Decent Homes Programme core and sub groups. We would like to get tenants and leaseholders involved in regular meetings and site visits. If anybody is interested in getting involved in these scheme panels, please contact Tal Mehta, Maintenance Programmes Manager on 01509 632539.