13,000 enquiries for just 18 homes amid housing crisis in Oldham

A new strategy aims to tackle the housing crisis in Oldham as it’s revealed a massive 13,000 enquiries were made about just EIGHTEEN rent-to-buy homes in the borough.

The town hall is to start building its own council homes once again ‘against the odds’ and is aiming to cut the numbers of dilapidated and poor quality privately rented properties.

Older people will also be supported to stay in their homes longer, with a council loan on offer to help them make adaptations, under the newly approved housing strategy.

Cabinet member for housing Councillor Hannah Roberts said they are aiming to make Oldham a place where ‘every resident can have the home they want at a price they can afford’. 

“Too many Oldham residents live in homes that do not meet the decent homes standard, and levels of disrepair in the private sector remain high,” she told councillors.

“Many are overcrowded. Too many people have no home at all and at any one time we have about 200 households in temporary accommodation waiting for a home.

“It is abundantly clear that the housing need is rising and will continue to rise, at the same time the number of social rented affordable and private rented homes being let is reducing.

“Oldham has fallen well below the government target for building new homes, and there will be consequences to us for having failed the housing delivery test.”

“Demand is high,” Coun Roberts added, pointing out that phase two of the development at Primrose Bank had been sold ‘off plan’.

“And there were 13,000 – and I double checked the figure – 13,000 enquiries for the 18 rent-to-buy properties on Thorp Road in Royton North.”

She added they are interested in following the Blackpool model in creating a local authority housing company – which could be funded by a mix of partners, including the council, housing associations and private developers.

This housing company would buy up poor quality private rented sector homes, bring them up to standard and then let them out for social rent.

But Coun Roberts told full council they are already taking action with their empty homes pilot, and a bond scheme to help people secure private sector tenancies.

New homes are being built for adults with learning disabilities in Hollinwood, and they are intending on building a ‘small number’ of new ‘adapted’ council homes using their housing revenue account and Homes England subsidy.

‘House swaps’ could also become a key part of the new strategy for council and housing association residents, which could enable them to find a more suitable home without having to wait on the housing register.

The plan also aims to make homes more attractive to younger people to prevent them leaving the borough, with financial schemes to help residents access home ownership.

There would also be a focus on more homes accessible to large and intergenerational families to relieve overcrowding.

And ‘DIY’ options, and community-led housing projects would also be supported.

A temporary accommodation strategy is to be developed in response to the high levels of need, which will include some new council-owned provision.

There are around 2,500 homes still in council ownership in the borough.

Council leader Sean Fielding said: “There are too many people occupying substandard homes in insecure tenancies, this is a strategy that will address that.

“It will also address the needs of those people, who there are too many of, who feel that the next stage up the housing ladder is a step out of the borough.

“We are using funding from our housing revenue account to build council homes – that is something that we should be incredibly proud of as a Labour council.

“Building council homes against the odds when all of the government legislation is designed to prevent us from doing so.”

Coun Barbara Brownridge added she was pleased the new strategy put housing at the ‘centre of every facet in Oldham’, including education, employment and health.

The strategy was voted through by the full council.

 

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