27 October 2006
Council-owned housing companies are arguing with ministers over whether they should delay plans to bring their homes up to standard.
The Department for Communities and Local Government wrote to more than 30 Almos this summer asking for volunteers to extend refurbishment work beyond the decent homes deadline of December 2010.
It argued that ministers are happy for 3%-5% of council properties to miss the deadline if this reduces pressure on public spending and allows work to be carried out more efficiently. But most Almos are angry that they have been caught up in the squeeze, and say they will be reneging on promises made to tenants.
Gwyneth Taylor, policy officer at the National Federation of Almos, said the DCLG appeared to be adopting a sterner tone after just a few volunteers came forward.
'We have been victims of our own success,' said Taylor. 'Nobody wants to be the one to tell tenants that they have to wait. The government would prefer that Almos did it.'
A DCLG spokesman said it wanted all Almo-run homes to meet the standard, but resources were tight.
PFoct2006
