Islington Council
Petition to: Disband HFI which is over-staffed, inefficient and unaccountable - bring back directly managed housing services.
This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.
We the undersigned petition Islington Council to Disband HFI which is over-staffed, inefficient and unaccountable - bring back directly managed housing services. More details
Submitted by Thomas Cooper – Deadline to sign up by: 28 August 2011 – Signatures: 1,655
Petition update, 01 September 2011
Dear Mr Cooper
Thank you for your petition.
I am pleased to confirm that the Council is carrying out a comprehensive review of the arrangements for the management of its housing stock. This will lead to a decision on the future of Homes for Islington (HfI).
The review has involved extensive consultation with tenants and residents and other organisations that have an interest in the future of housing management in the borough. We are also reviewing the costs of the various options that are open to the Council.
We have received nearly 3,000 responses to the survey of tenants and residents and held a large number of meetings to discuss the issues involved. This has been overseen by a group of tenants who have made sure that the consultation is genuine. They have appointed an independent adviser to assist them in making sure that tenants’ and residents’ voices are heard.
The e-petition clearly expresses the view of a number of residents and it will be taken into account along with all the other consultation exercises that have taken place.
The results of the review will be presented to the Council's Executive in November and they will make a decision on the way forward.
Yours sincerely,
Sean McLaughlin
Corporate Director of Housing and Adult Social ServicesMore details from petition creator
Homes for Islington (HFI) was created to access Government funding and deliver Islington's Decent Homes major works - this has now been completed.
Impending government changes in how council housing is financed means Islington will lose the subsidy it currently receives and as cuts begin to bite, the expensive outsourcing of services to HFI will force massive rises in rents and service charges for council tenants and leaseholders.
Councils across the country are winding up organisations like HFI, recognising that they do not represent best value for public money, and bringing management of council housing back under direct council control. We need genuine accountability instead of token box-ticking exercises to retain HFI, an organisation which does not have residents’ interests at heart.