Press Release

End of Islington’s largest ever housing revamp

27 January 2012
For immediate release

An Islington resident of 23 years has celebrated being one of the final properties in the biggest ever upgrade of properties in Islington.

Sally Beautista welcomed Homes for Islington’s Chief Executive, Eamon McGoldrick, and Islington Council’s Executive Member for Housing, James Murray, into her home to show off some of the benefits from a programme over £600m of improvements in the borough.

Like many other residents, Ms Beautista had a brand new kitchen and bathroom installed. She also received a new energy efficient boiler and replacement radiators in the first major improvements to her flat since she moved in, back in 1989.

These improvements form part of the Decent Homes Programme which was started by Homes for Islington (HFI) in 2004, when almost two thirds of council properties in the borough did not meet the nationally-recognised ‘Decent Homes’ standard. Since then, working with a number of contractors and specialists, HFI has renewed over 17,000 kitchens and over 10,000 bathrooms.

Other elements of the programme have helped make homes ‘greener’ and reduced residents’ energy bills. HFI has renewed windows in nearly 10,000 homes, undertaken 16,000 boiler replacements and upgrades to heating systems and insulated over 8,000 homes.

Ms Beautista said, “I am very pleased with the courteousness and helpfulness of contractors when they were working in the flat. The way the project manager dealt with things made me feel listened to.”

Eamon McGoldrick said, “The Decent Homes Programme has been a major success and we’ve helped to improve the lives of tens of thousands of residents in the borough since we started this work in 2005. I’m very proud of the work our staff and contractors have done bringing homes up to a good standard where many properties hadn’t had refurbishments for 30 years. To reduce the number of properties not up to scratch from about 18,000 down to a small number has taken a lot of planning, co-ordination and hard work.”
ENDS

For media enquiries please contact Jaime Goumal in the HFI Communications team on 020 7527 4370 or email jaime.goumal@homesforislington.org.uk.

Notes to editors:

1. Homes for Islington, one of the UK’s largest arms length management organisations (ALMO), which began operations in April 2004, is charged with managing council housing stock throughout the borough. It is owned by Islington Council and managed by a Board of Directors, made up of Islington tenants and leaseholders, council representatives and independent members.

2. HFI was awarded the highest rating (3 stars with excellent prospects) from the Audit Commission in 2008, putting it in the top 4% of ALMOs in the country.

3. As part of the Decent Homes Programme, HFI has:
- Renewed 17,400 kitchens
- Renewed 10,300 bathrooms
- Carried out 18,000 electrical rewires and upgrade
- Undertaken 16,000 boiler replacements and upgrades to heating systems
- Renewed windows to 9,600 flats
- Renewed or repaired roofs directly benefitting 6,000 homes
- Installed cavity wall insulation to approximately 8,200 homes

4. Image ‘End of Decent Homes 1’. Homes for Islington Chief Executive, Eamon McGoldrick, presenting tenant, Sally Beautista, with a hamper to celebrate the end of the Decent Homes Programme in Islington.

5. Image ‘End of Decent Homes 2’. Homes for Islington Chief Executive Eamon McGoldrick, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Housing James Murray and tenant Sally Beautista celebrating the end of the Decent Homes Programme.