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Published: 11-Nov-2004 |
by Hannah Fearn |
INSIDE HOUSING Glasgow to transfer 35,000 homes
Glasgow Housing Association is aiming to transfer almost half its homes to local housing organisations by 2007, its new business plan reveals.
The 30-year plan, under consultation by tenants and staff until early December, shows that by the end of 2007 GHA aims to have passed 35,000 of its 76,000 homes through second stage transfer.
It will then restructure, continuing service provision but creating a separate housing association to manage the remaining stock.
Local housing organisations will be asked to put forward proposals to purchase GHA's housing stock by the end of 2005.
Tenants are to be balloted through 2006 on whether their LHO or another housing association should take over the stock but LHOs are to retain their preferred bidder status.
The majority of second stage transfers will then take place in 2007.
GHA chief executive Michael Lennon told Inside Housing: 'If you aim small you will achieve small and if the underlying policy is fundamentally about transforming these neighbourhoods through local participation and control then lets get on with it.
'It is certainly an ambitious target but we're still talking two and a half years away from that being completed.'
GHA is to demolish 5,000 properties over the next 10 years, although the demolition programme will remain under review.
Some of the demolition costs are to be recovered through a £114 million grant from the Scottish Executive, promised at the time of initial stock transfer.
The draft business plan also sets out £30 million over the first three years for stock improvement and £3 million per year for three years to purchase sites for new build.
Further investment in neighbourhood renewal and tackling anti-social behaviour was also outlined.
There is no provision in the business plan to repay the £200 million in grant owed to the Scottish Executive but Mr Lennon confirmed that the debt would wiped if targets to transfer 80 per cent of stock within 10 years were met.
Sean Clerkin, chair of the Glasgow Campaign Against Housing Stock Transfer, said second stage transfer was being rushed through.
'This is not community ownership or community control. It is a free for all - basically a free market in housing replacing the safety of public housing.'
Give your views in Your Forum
Published: 11-Nov-2004 |
by Hannah Fearn |