An Introduction to Housing Stock Transfer

We would like to work with our tenants to give them the opportunity to transfer the ownership and management of their homes to a brand new local, independant, not-for-profit housing association called Sedgefield Borough Homes. 

This decision to look at setting up Sedgefield Borough Homes hasn't been taken lightly and was made following consultation with our tenants in 2007 for the following reasons:                                    

• Transfer will give us access to the money we need to improve tenants homes to the standard that they want. We will be able to bring homes to well above the minimum 'Decent Homes Standard'.
• We can do the other improvements tenants would like, such as kitchens and bathrooms, new boundary walls, new fencing and providing car parking spaces.
• We will no longer have to pay more than £3million a year of the rent money we collect back to the Government, which works out at £7.49 a week for every home. This money can be invested in our tenants homes.

So why look at setting up Sedgefield Borough Homes?

Councillor Agnes Armstrong, leader of Sedgefield Borough Council, said:

"Sedgefield Borough will no longer exist after March 2009, when a new single Council for the whole of County Durham is set up, it will be responsible for running around 23,000 homes. This means your homes will no longer be run by the Borough Council after that date, they will either be run by Sedgefield Borough Homes, if you vote for that to happen, or by the new council for County Durham."

"We recognise that in 2005 tenants said they preferred to stay with the Council, but we simply do not have the money to do all the work you ask us to do to your homes and estates."

"Transfer offers us a real opportunity to obtain the money we need to invest in your homes and services, and ensure the homes continue to be run in the Borough, and by local people."

If you would like more information about the transfer or an informal chat we have set up a freephone number. You can contact us on 0800 066 5697. The phone is staffed from 8.30am until 5.00pm, Monday to Thursday and from 8.30am to 4.30pm on a Friday. If you call outside of these hours please leave a message on our answer phone and we will call you back when it is convenient for you.

Our Independant Tenant Advisor's telephone number is 0800 328 0845.

Want to know more about Stock Transfer? Click on the links at the sides of the page.