The move by Slough and Hillingdon councils to close their arm’s-length management organisations has raised important questions over the future role of ALMOs as the original 2010 decent homes deadline approaches.
Quite simply, ALMOs remain the most successful form of housing management overall, with more than 80 per cent holding two or more stars. This suggests reports of their imminent demise are misguided.
The majority of councils originally expected to bring their ALMOs back under council control once the decent homes programme was completed. The fact that so many councils have since recognised the wider benefits of retaining their ALMOs is cause for congratulation.
The NFA has always anticipated that the sector would diversify but it is essential that tenants are fully informed and fully involved in determining their future.
The success of the ALMO sector is not just the delivery of decent homes and improved services but also the greater efficiencies and wider social benefits that they bring. This is due to their board and staffing structures, and the way in which tenants have helped to drive up service standards.
ALMOs place the interests of tenants at the heart of everything they do and, although local authorities could stand to make some short-term financial gain from taking their services back in-house, the well-being of tenants must remain paramount. ALMO tenants have a real say in how their estates are managed and many will be reluctant to give up these freedoms which have undoubtedly led to improved services.
Currently, 37 ALMOs have achieved the Audit Commission’s two-star rating while a further 21 have been awarded the maximum three-star rating; a track record unsurpassed by the housing association or traditional local authority sectors.
This is an achievement based on far more than just the delivery of decent homes, significant though it is in itself, and recognises the important role ALMOs play in delivering wider services and regenerating our communities.
The NFA is currently preparing a report to highlight the wider benefits delivered by ALMOs which will include significant improvements in areas such as health, employment, financial inclusion, community cohesion and local pride.
Following the general election in May, it will be up to the government of whatever colour to provide a clear direction for the future role of ALMOs beyond decent homes.
We wish the tenants of Slough and Hillingdon, and others who may see their ALMOs disappearing, all the best for the future and hope that they do not have cause to regret losing those very elements that have been important contributors to the ALMO sector’s success.
Alison Inman, chair of the National Federation of ALMOs
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Readers' comments (1)
Max | 13/03/2010 7:19 pm
Let me have a wild guess....if the ALMO movement was no more then there would be no need for a National Federation of ALMOs? This is yet another turkeys voting for Christmas article!
I am curious about what evidence there is that services are going to decline if services are taken back in house and where is the evidence that they have? Why would all the learning that has been made to deliver significant improvements to housing services disappear overnight? Its a nonsense argument to suggest that they will decline.
I am also curious about the report pending by the NFA "to highlight the wider benefits delivered by ALMOs which will include significant improvements in areas such as health, employment, financial inclusion, community cohesion and local pride." The original thinking behind PSA 7 was about tackling poor housing to address health and poverty. Based on the billions of pounds spent on refurbishing homes and the requirement to improve services what did NFA think was going to happen? They might have been better off commissioning a report to confirm if the Pope is fact Catholic.
Anyway councils will be awash with the money they save should ALMO Management Agreements expire and that money is ring-fenced for services to tenants. Who knows services may even get better and tenants may get better value for money.
There is no doubt that ALMOs have driven up standards but only because that’s what they were set up to do and their survival depended on it. No Councils would rightfully retain an ALMO that was not improving services. Its a minimum 2 stars or you're out!
Many ALMOs are steadily approaching the end of their usefulness as their decent homes programmes are nearing completion. It is positive that many have completed their improvements and also raised the quality of housing services. However, we must not forget that they (ALMOs) were chosen as a delivery vehicle to deliver decent homes first and foremost by those local authorities that did not want to or could not pursue the alternative options. Horses for courses etc. Why are we then surprised when we hear about a council terminating or not renewing ALMO agreement when decent homes works are concluded?
If there is a compelling argument for retaining an ALMO beyond the delivery of decent homes I am still waiting to hear it. Yes ALMOs can new build houses for people in need, run apprenticeship programmes for long term unemployed and build space stations but I am almost certain that there are many better placed and experienced organisations in existence to achieve those outcomes. Let’s not get too emotional or get carried away with this debate because in the current economic climate why would any rational organisation extend or renew the ALMO’s existence beyond the reason why it was set up (the successful completion of the decent homes improvement programme).
Local authorities have difficult choices to make and sometimes its easier to get hysterical about the consequences rather than deal with the big issues such as life after ALMO. To Hillingdon and Slough I raise my glass, their ALMOs had a specific role and did that successfully, lets congratulate them that were brave and commissioned ALMOs as a route towards a successful outcomes but mourn their demise...don't make me weep in my beer.
Thanks, but lets not all overdo the turkey please its hard enough getting the electorate to vote!
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