Housing commission underway

Investment and Involvement Commission chairman Ian Cole.

A joint Council/Rochdale Boroughwide Housing review of the future options for the borough’s council housing has started with the first meeting of the Investment and Involvement Commission.

The Commission is an independently chaired group made up of council tenants, councillors, council staff and RBH board members. It will examine the various options available for the sustainable future of council housing in the borough.

The Commission will be looking at the options in terms of how they might generate increased investment in properties and estates, and to ensure that there is continued funding available to improve services. The potential that each option gives to increase the influence tenants can have in decision making will also be an important factor in the Commission’s considerations.

Councillor Doreen Brophy-Lee, Cabinet member for Housing said: “The Investment and Involvement Commission is an innovative approach and will ensure that our proud record of real tenant involvement continues."

The Government recently issued a consultation paper on reforms to council housing finance. Its main proposal is to scrap the current complex subsidy system. Local authorities would be able to keep all their rental income from council housing. This ‘self financing’ option will only be possible if proposals for the redistribution of £18 billion of existing housing debt amongst all authorities in the system are agreed. Therefore as well as the potential self financing option the Commission will consider what will happen if the current subsidy system is retained.

Rochdale Council and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing have launched their joint initiative with the appointment of leading housing academic, Professor Ian Cole, as the independent chairman.

The review is about more than just housing. Options will also be assessed on the extent that they enable RBH to contribute fully to regenerating neighbourhoods. Ian Agnew, chairman of RBH explained: “In the last seven years RBH has delivered major improvements to tenants’ homes and more recently environmental improvements, but in the future arms length management organisations (ALMOs) such as RBH need to work with councils and other partners to address the wider needs of our most deprived communities."

The Commission will report back in March 2010 with its conclusions then being considered by the Council and its ALMO. Councillor Brophy-Lee added: “The Council will then be in a well informed position to make the important final decisions on how we will best guarantee that our housing will mean decent homes and great neighbourhoods."

RBH also wants to involve a larger group of tenants in shadowing the work of the Commission and learning more about the future options. Any tenant who is interested in joining this group should contact the Tenant Participation Unit on 01706 273820.