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Retail repairs

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As Inside Housing reported this week, Spectrum Housing Group has had early discussions with major retailers B&Q and Argos about potentially doing work for them through its in-house repairs subsidiary.

The talks are at an early stage, but could potentially see the beginning of a new source of revenue for the sector.

While many housing associations already provide repair services for public bodies, including local authorities and health trusts, selling services to high street retailers appears to be new (If anyone else is doing this already though, please get in touch.)

Wayne Morris, chief executive of SHG, says he sees large retailers becoming part of the housing association repairs market place. He justifies the move on the basis that it would provide much-needed employment and that the proceeds could cross-subsidise the building of new affordable homes.

The move would be consistent with wider thinking across the sector about ways of generating extra revenues in a world of less capital grant.

But as one sector figure has already pointed out on Twitter, problems may arise if a housing association’s performance on repairing its housing stock decreases.

One can only imagine the uproar if tenants are not getting their homes fixed and they see the landlords’ staff doing up the local B & Q instead.

It is early, but SHG should be commended for its innovative thinking, and it will be interesting to see how things progress.


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Landlord in talks with retailer over repairs serviceLandlord in talks with retailer over repairs service

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