Richmond Council’s Social Housing Improvement Plan (SHIP)

Councils all across the UK have an obligation to provide housing for people in need. They also have to ensure that the homes are in a good condition. One council in London is looking to drive improvements in this area. We want to have a closer look at the plan today, then if you need help with investment properties in Richmond upon Thames, you can speak to us.

A tricky situation

Investment properties Richmond upon ThamesRichmond’s Council is doing more to achieve their housing goals. This includes working on a pipeline to deliver over 1,000 new affordable homes. In addition, they are looking to introduce a social housing improvement plan (SHIP) for the borough. The idea here is it will improve homes to make them better and more sustainable, tackle disrepair, and also improve services for residents.

The local authority has quite a challenge with managing social housing in the area. They don’t actually own a stock of homes. Instead, they have partnerships with housing associations such as L&Q, RHP, and MTVH. As a result, management practices and standards can vary.

With the SHIP, Richmond Council is setting out five key commitments:

  1. Giving residents a voice with decisions about housing
  2. Improve the repairs
  3. Address housing defects and disrepair
  4. Invest in sustainability
  5. Invest to make safer, stronger communities

The idea here is it will ensure that the housing authorities work to improve everything. They are already onboard with the idea, so they will be directly responsible for providing the funding to improve the properties.

What next?

The Council agreed these commitments with residents. They also recently did a public consultation to get more feedback on the plans and what people would like to see. The local authority will now consider the responses and make changes to the SHIP if necessary. A final version will be available in the coming months.

Once the SHIP is finalised, Richmond Council will begin working with the housing associations to achieve the goals. This will also help to achieve targets for things like protecting the climate and tackling fuel poverty.

There will be an ongoing process where the council invites the housing associations to report their performance, any challenges they experience, and other details. This will happen annually. There will also be reports to measure and monitor tenant satisfaction.

Do you want help with investment properties in Richmond upon Thames?

Finefair Ltd has a wealth of experience with different kinds of properties. We support investors with assets like houses, apartments, and more. Our expertise also covers blocks and estates, considering the unique challenges they can present. As a result, we can provide the most reliable solutions, tailoring them to suit specific portfolios.

The great thing here is you can get the exact services you need. Want to protect the financial side of things? We’ll offer guaranteed rent. Need management services? We can arrange it. Thinking about expanding your holdings or things like HMOs? We can also help with that too.

So, get in touch today and let us know your plans for investment properties in Richmond upon Thames. We’d love to work with you.