18 August 2006
More than 50 local authorities have submitted bids to meet the decent homes target through a stock transfer or by setting up an arm's-length company.
A total of 49 transfer proposals from 38 different councils were received by the Department for Communities and Local Government before the closing date at the end of last month. Sixteen councils wish to set up arm's-length management organisations, including five that have also drawn up transfer proposals.
About half the Almo bids came from London councils, including Enfield, Haringey, Lambeth, Lewisham and Redbridge.
Blackpool, North East Derbyshire and Salford also hope to join the sixth and final round of Almos, due to be confirmed this autumn.
Some of the councils wishing to transfer their stock to a housing association will require gap funding because of the poor condition of their properties.
New Almos, along with some already approved, have been asked to spread the cost of improvement work over a longer period to ease pressure on the Treasury.
Gwyneth Taylor, policy officer at the National Federation of Almos, said the DCLG would have struggled to fund all of the new Almos even without the need to provide gap funding for some stock transfers.
But many Almos seem happy to postpone refurbishment programmes until after the initial decent homes deadline of 2010. 'It makes sense for them to spread the cost,' she said.
Ministers admitted in June that about 3%—5% of social housing will still fall below the decent homes standard in December 2010.
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