Islington Council brings management of 4,000 council homes back in-house

Approximately 4,000 council homes are today (Monday, 4 April) coming back under council management, following consultation with residents.

The move means that housing repairs, maintenance and tenancy matters for 4,000 homes that were previously managed by Partners for Improvement in Islington (Partners) will come in-house. Bringing these homes back under council management will allow Islington Council to put customer satisfaction and quality service provision at the heart of these services.

For years, the council has had two Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts with Partners to manage homes in Islington. One of these contracts, PFI2, covers 4,000 council homes, and ends today.

The council held a month-long consultation so that residents could have their say on whether they wanted repairs, maintenance and other services to be carried out by the council, or another external provider. A total of 91% of respondents were in favour of the council delivering services. The council announced in July 2020 that management of these properties would come back under council control when the PFI2 contract expired – which has happened today.

This decision is in-line with the council’s ‘in-house by default’ policy, designed to deliver quality and value to the borough’s residents. The council currently delivers housing management, repairs and maintenance services to over 25,000 estate and street property homes.

The council’s other contract with Partners, PFI1, for services to around 2,000 homes does not expire until 2033, and Partners will continue to manage those homes.

Maxine Holdsworth, Islington Council’s Corporate Director for Homes and Neighbourhoods, said: “We’re committed to creating a more equal Islington, where everyone has a safe, decent, and genuinely affordable place to call home.

“We’re really pleased that the management of 4,000 council homes in our borough is coming back in-house – and we look forward to putting customer satisfaction and quality service provision at the heart of these services. We have done months of preparation for the return of these homes and households, and our teams will work hard to make the transition a smooth one for all our residents.

“We’d like to thank Partners for their work in managing these homes since 2006, and look forward to continuing to work closely with them while they continue to manage other council homes in the borough.”

As part of the move to bring the management of the former-PFI2 properties in-house, the council will be welcoming more than 30 staff from Partners. They will bring with them their expertise and knowledge of delivering services for residents in these properties.

The council is continuing to work with Partners to ensure the transition is smooth for tenants, leaseholders, and staff from both organisations.

Further information is available on the council’s website.

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