Oldham tenants agree transfer from ALMO

Eighty-six per cent of tenants at First Choice Homes Oldham, which manages Oldham Council’s housing stock, have voted to transfer the ownership and management of the local authority’s 12,000 homes. A total of 9,000 tenants voted in the ballot. The homes will be transferred to First Choice Homes, which will become a housing association.

The transfer will see £149 million invested in the homes over the next five years.

Charlie Parker, Oldham Council’s chief executive, said: ‘For the last eight years, the council and FCHO have done their best with the funds that were initially available under the government’s ALMO programme, but this was never enough to reach the standard of homes tenants want and keep them that way.’

Hugh Broadbent, FCHO chief executive, added: ‘Our staff have always been committed to providing great services and the transfer will enable us to deliver more of tenants’ expectations for their homes and neighbourhoods.

‘There’s a lot to do but we are determined to complete the transfer agreement as quickly as possible so that FCHO’s promises can quickly become a reality.’

ALMOs in Warrington, Stockton and Bolton are currently looking at stock transfer.

Alistair McIntosh, chief executive of housing training and consultancy company HQN, said the occurrence of future stock transfers would depend on the outcome of negotiations between the government and councils that could see the current subsidy system dismantled.

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