Tower Hamlets Homes moves in-house
Tower Hamlets Council has taken over managing housing services for 21,000 tenants across the borough to save money and ensure better accountability.
The maintenance and management of thousands of council homes will be overseen by Tower Hamlets Council after a housing management service moved back in-house on Wednesday, 1 November 2023.
Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) has been managing repairs and fixing council homes for some 21,000 tenants and leaseholders since it was set up by the council in 2008 however, a 2022 survey found that 86 per cent of local residents backed the idea of bringing the service back in-house.
Residents who took part in the survey believe the council will provide an improved service, will be better value for money and there will be better communication.
A total of 3,190 people, made up of social housing tenants and leaseholders, took part in the survey, with 2,750 agreeing that the services should be bought back in-house while the remaining participants were either against the idea or were undecided.
The council will have more control over how budgets are set and spent and said it could make “immediate savings” because it would no longer need to fund THH.
A council report noted: “Direct and immediate savings would be generated by removing the costs of running a separate company and directly managing services. This saving will be reinvested into housing management services, improvement of homes and new homes.”
Posting on X (formerly Twitter) today, Tower Hamlets mayor, Lutfur Rahman said the move will bring “more oversight and accountability on housing” as well as “forming closer relationships with our residents”.
Mr Rahman added: “I am grateful to the people who staffed Tower Hamlets Homes for 15 years, and wish everyone all the best in the future.”
THH has informed council tenants and leaseholders that they should continue contacting housing management services using the same phone number, email addresses and online services they currently use.
