Central Government has set a target for all local authorities to bring all council owned housing up to the decency standard. As a result, all local authorities have had to consider how they can best acquire enough funding in order to achieve this challenging target. For many Councils, including Doncaster, this has resulted in a need to consider alternative ways of managing their Housing Services.
Doncaster Council first began to look at the future management options for its housing stock during 2002/3. The Mayor of Doncaster, issued a Green Paper consultation document in December 2003, which explained the four options available to the Council and described the advantages and disadvantages of each.
The four options were:
Throughout the options appraisal process the Council consulted with tenants and other stakeholders and facilitated the establishment of the Tenants Commission – a representative body of tenants. The Tenants Commission met on a regular basis and received specialised training on housing management issues, which enabled them to make an informed recommendation to the Mayor.
In July 2004, following an intense consultation period, the Mayor produced a White Paper policy document entitled Decent Homes in Decent Neighbourhoods. The White Paper described how retaining the management of Council housing under the existing arrangements would not generate enough funding to achieve the Government’s decent homes target. The recommendation put forward by the White Paper, therefore, was the establishment of an Arms Length Management Organisation.
The Mayor considered that this option would comply with the wishes of the majority of tenants who wanted the housing stock to remain in council ownership but at the same time it would provide the opportunity for the Council to access additional funding from the Government in order to meet the decent homes target and thereby improve the quality of housing for all council tenants in the Doncaster Borough.
The Government defines a Decent Home as one that:
