Council housing

The Council owns 5,465 homes in the borough, mainly in the areas of Ellesmere Port, Neston and Winsford.

Council housing is currently managed and maintained by the Council’s strategic housing partner, ForHousing.

In addition to the housing management contract, ForHousing also deliver the homelessness support service (branded as Forfutures), home improvement agency (branded as HomeKey+) contracts, and the leasing of homes in the Housing Investment Account on behalf of the Council. These contracts end in June 2027.

ForHousing have informed the Council that they do not believe they can fully maintain services over the remaining contract term until June 2027. As a result, the provider has indicated its intention to end the current contract by no later than 31 March 2026.

In anticipation of the contract ending in 2027 and in light of significant changes in the housing landscape, in 2024 the Council asked tenants for their views on their preferred option for how their homes are managed in the future.

This consultation saw 75% of respondents saying that they would like the Council’s homes to be owned and managed by the Council, with repairs and maintenance delivered by an external specialist contractor.

Following this feedback, the Council is now bringing the management of Council Housing stock in the Borough back into the Council, with further arrangements being made for other housing services currently delivered by ForHousing.

Changes, including new regulatory requirements introduced since the contract first started in 2017, have led to an increase in both the number and cost of day-to-day repairs and maintenance issues reported.

These contracts were due to end in June 2027, and both organisations have agreed not to exercise the optional two-year extension contained within the contract.

ForHousing informed the Council that they do not believe they can fully maintain services over the remaining contract term until June 2027. As a result, the provider has indicated its intention to end the current contract by no later than 31 March 2026.

The situation regarding the provider’s intentions in terms of reducing services with immediate effect only became clear from mid-July 2025. That is why we are now acting so rapidly to protect these services.

The purpose of the consultation was to seek tenants’ views on their preferred option. The Council wished for the decision to be tenant-led, and there was no presumption in favour of either option. The outcome was that the tenants favoured the model of the Council directly managing the homes, which will now be implemented.

The Council has decided that it is in the best interest of tenants and service users to bring forward the arrangements previously agreed by Cabinet on 9 July 2025. This will mean that all current contracts with ForHousing will end on 31 March 2026, with the Council managing the homes thereafter.

There are financial challenges within the existing contractual arrangements, as changes in legislation have introduced more duties and responsibilities on all Registered Providers, which has introduced more cost.

ForHousing believe that these costs cannot be fully met within the existing contract fee. This had the potential to lead to a reduction in services to tenants and service users, which the Council wishes to avoid. The Council is committed to putting tenants and service users at the heart of actions and decisions. Therefore, an early return of services to the Council ensures that services can be maintained and tenant and service user expectations can be met.

This is supported by the fact that 75% of tenants who engaged with the 2024 consultation wished to see the Council managing these services directly with specialist providers supporting activity where appropriate.

The new models to be introduced will offer greater stability for services in the medium to long term.

No, ForHousing have informed the Council that they do not believe they can fully maintain services over the remaining contract term until June 2027. As a result, they have indicated their intention to end the current contract by no later than 31 March 2026.

Changes to legislation, which have resulted in increased oversight and cost has seen Registered Providers nationally reviewing their activity.

Most are giving more priority and focus to their existing housing stock, as they seek to deal with issues of quality and safety and to meet new statutory timescales.

The Council owns 5,465 homes in the borough, mainly in the areas of Ellesmere Port, Neston and Winsford. These homes are currently managed and maintained by the Council’s strategic housing partner, ForHousing. As well as the housing management contract, ForHousing also deliver the homelessness support service (branded as Forfutures), home improvement agency (branded as HomeKey+) contracts, and the leasing of homes in the Housing Investment Account.

These contracts were due to end in June 2027, and both organisations agreed not to exercise the optional two-year extension contained within the contract.

This will now be brought forward to an end date of 31 March 2026. Until that point, ForHousing will continue managing the services, including home repairs.

In light of significant changes in the housing landscape and in preparation for the end of the contract, last year the Council asked tenants for their views on how they would like their homes to be managed in the future. This consultation saw 75% of respondents saying that they would like the Council’s homes to be owned and managed by the Council, with repairs and maintenance delivered by an external specialist contractor.

Cabinet has now approved this as a way forward.

The Council will deliver Council Housing Management Services, with the repairs and maintenance services delivered by external specialist contractors. This will provide long-term stability for tenants and give the Council direct control of service delivery to ensure it meets regulatory standards and provide a more flexible and responsive service for tenants. This will also benefit from the expertise and experience of external contractors for physical building works. Housing Investment Account properties will be leased by the Council to an external Registered Provider.

Home Improvement Agency administration and management will be delivered by the Council and physical works delivered through external contracts.

Homelessness Support Services for Temporary Accommodation, Out of Hours homelessness statutory duty services, the Supported accommodation gateway, homelessness prevention services, advice and information and tenancy support will also be delivered by the Council, giving the Council more control over improving outcomes for vulnerable people. Homelessness Support Services for young people, rough sleeping and supported accommodation will be delivered by the expertise of external specialist providers.

Following the July 2025 decision to bring services back into the Council, discussions with the provider about future delivery arrangements have already started and both the Council and ForHousing are committed to continuing to work together on the transitional arrangements to minimise the disruption to tenants and residents.

The Council recognises that the timescale is challenging. However, there is a robust plan in place to migrate services back to the Council, or to alternative specialist providers, as outlined in the Cabinet Report of 9 July 2025.

This will mean that in some cases, existing contracts will be transferred from ForHousing to the Council and will not be comissioned until after the original end date of the contract. Limited direct awards of new contracts will also be made, with a commitment that these will be re-procured on an open basis as soon as possible thereafter.

The situation regarding the provider’s intentions in terms of reducing services only became clear from mid-July 2025. Some of the procurement activity, including ICT and homelessness support, needed to commence immediately to allow for the new services to be implemented on 1 April 2026.

That is why we are now acting so rapidly to protect these services. These timescales did not allow the usual governance process, and the usual ‘call in’ process did not apply.

No. While the Council faces significant budget pressures, it will always prioritise its statutory duties. These are the services it is legally required to provide, such as preventing homelessness, helping people at risk of losing their home, and ensuring housing is safe and meets legal standards. The Council will continue to focus resources on these essential services.

The Council is implementing the new service models early to mitigate any impact on services.

While the Council faces significant budget pressures, it will always prioritise its statutory duties. These are the services it is legally required to provide, such as preventing homelessness, helping people at risk of losing their home, and ensuring housing is safe and meets legal standards. The Council will continue to focus resources on these essential services.

The Council recognises in the transition that there may be some minor disruption to services as new systems and processes are embedded, however it has a robust plan to mitigate this.

This should provide long-term stability for tenants and give the Council direct control of service delivery to ensure it meets regulatory standards and provide a more flexible and responsive service for our tenants. This approach will also utilise the expertise and experience of external contractors for physical building works.

The Council will also manage improvements and adaptations to homes through the Home Improvement Agency, with physical works completed by external contractors. The Council’s affordable homes that sit in the Housing Investment Account will be leased by the Council to an external Registered Provider.

Homelessness Support Services for Temporary Accommodation, Out of Hours homelessness statutory duty services, the Supported accommodation gateway, homelessness prevention services, advice and information and tenancy support will also be delivered by the Council, giving the Council more control over improving outcomes for vulnerable people and better aligning these services with the homeless prevention services already delivered in-house. Homelessness Support Services for young people, rough sleeping and supported accommodation will be delivered by the expertise of external specialist providers.

The Council now has the opportunity to deliver a housing model going forward that brings the Council closer to its residents earlier than originally anticipated.

The intention of the Council by bringing these services back in-house is to create efficiencies and bring forward sustained improvement.

Given the changed housing environment, to require the current provider to continue delivering services until 2027 risks a decline in quality for tenants. Because of that, the Council feels it needs to take action now to protect these services. Tenants and service users will always remain its priority, and it will be working hard with ForHousing to ensure that any disruption is kept to a minimum.

Following the July 2025 decision to bring services back into the Council, discussions with the provider about future delivery arrangements have already started and both the Council and ForHousing are committed to continuing to work together on the transitional arrangements to minimise the disruption to tenants and residents.

The Council recognises that the timescale is challenging. However, detailed preparation has been undertaken and there is a robust plan in place to migrate services back to the Council, or to alternative specialist providers, as outlined in the Cabinet Report of 9 July 2025.

This will mean that in some cases, existing contracts will be transferred from ForHousing to the Council and will not be commissioned until after the original end date of the contract. Limited direct awards of new contracts will also be made, with a commitment that these will be re-procured on an open basis as soon as possible thereafter.

Bringing these services back into the Council in a shorter time frame will be challenging, but having closely assessed its options and discussed this with ForHousing, we are certain that this will best serve tenants, homeless people and others accessing the Council’s housing services with a modern, fit-for-purpose service

The delivery of housing services nationally has faced significant pressures, challenges and changes over recent years. The impact of the Covid pandemic saw an increase in repairs being reported by tenants, an increase in demand for adaptations, and an increase in homelessness. There has been extensive new legislation, regulation of social housing, and rent controls that the Council needs to make sure are followed. At the same time housing management costs continue to increase both locally and nationally; whilst homelessness has also continued to rise.

In preparation for the return of housing management services to the Council, a stock condition survey is currently being carried out to all Council homes. This will be completed prior to 1 April 2026 and will guide investment needs to the homes to meet health and safety, decency and sustainability requirements over the coming years.

Existing staff at ForHousing working solely on the contract will transfer into the Council. Therefore, tenants and service users will have continuity over the people they deal with. However, from 1 April 2026 any tenant contact will be directly with the Council rather than ForHousing and therefore telephone numbers, website information and mobile apps will be new. A robust communication plan will be in place to smooth this transition and ensure that contact details are clear.

Current arrangements for contacting ForHousing, Forfutures, HomeKey+ and reporting repairs or issues will continue until the contract ends. More information will be made available closer to the time to let residents know of any changes on how to contact the new Council service.

To report repairs or issues, please continue to do so by contacting:

• Phone: 0300 123 5522
• Email: hello@forhousing.co.uk

New damp and mould provisions are coming in in October 2025. This will require the Council to deal with hazards relating to damp and mould within statutory timescales. There are also currently consultations on the Decent Homes Standard and the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. Both these consultations are likely to result in higher standards being set for the Council’s homes.

Yes, the Council is currently undertaking a stock condition survey of all homes which will complete prior to 1 April 2026 and will guide future investment needs in the stock.

The Council is working closely with the existing ICT suppliers to migrate systems. Whilst 1 April 2026 presents a challenging timescale, it is estimated that procurement and mobilisation will take approximately six months, which allows time for testing prior to ‘go live.’ Some enhanced features such as web chat bots and a mobile phone app may not be available on 1 April 2026 but will be introduced shortly thereafter.

• Emergency repairs: within 24 hours or one working day
• Urgent repairs: within 7 working days
• Routine repairs: within 20 working days
• Batched repairs: as part of our capital investment programme or within 100 working days.

The Council will seek to meet the timescales set out in its existing Responsive Repairs Policy initially. However, these will be enhanced for damp and mould cases which will be subject to the new statutory timescales as follows (details in the link):

1. Initial Investigation: Landlords must investigate reported health hazards within two weeks of notification.
2. Repair Works: After the investigation, landlords are required to begin necessary repair works within seven days.
3. Emergency Repairs: Any emergency repairs, including those related to damp and mould, must be completed within 24 hours.

Further hazards will also need resolution within accelerated timescales from October 2026, and the existing Policy will be updated to reflect these.

Yes, any option available to the Council will result in increasing costs given the background nationally of increased demands and regulatory changes.

How much more?

This increased cost has currently been estimated at between £600,000 - £1 million per year for the main Housing Revenue Account (HRA) contract. This estimate will continue to be refined as further information becomes available.

Early termination of the existing HRA contract will bring forward the date on which these increased costs commence being borne by the Council. The costs of the other three contracts are expected to remain broadly unchanged following any early implementation.

An early implementation will also bring forward the estimated one-off costs of transitioning to the new delivery model. These one-off costs are currently estimated to be in the region of up to £1 million. These costs would have been incurred in 2027. Again, this estimate will continue to be refined as further information becomes available.

While the Council faces significant budget pressures, it will always prioritise its statutory duties. These are the services it is legally required to provide, such as preventing homelessness, helping people at risk of losing their home, and ensuring housing is safe and meets legal standards. The Council will continue to focus resources on these essential services.

The costs of the other three (non HRA) contracts are expected to remain broadly unchanged following any early exit. No additional budget is therefore expected to be needed.

The HRA is a ‘ring-fenced’ fund and is limited in the amount it can spend by the amount of rental income it generates each year currently circa £27.5 million.

Any increase in the amount spent on housing management, including cost arising from stock condition surveys and addressing the issues arising from Awaab’s Law, will require offsetting savings elsewhere.

The Council’s existing 30-year Business Plan for the HRA, which sets out how capital and revenue will be deployed over the longer term will need to be reviewed in light of the demands being made of it.

The % rate at which rents on Council owned properties can be increased over each of the next 10 years has already been set out by Central Government. Any additional costs being incurred by the Council will not impact upon these % rate increases.

Those ForHousing colleagues who are currently working on the Council contract will be brought back into the Council to continue to deliver this service. They will have protections under the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) legislation and have a legal right to transfer to the Council with the contract. In relation to the homelessness work, those colleagues who are currently working on this aspect of the contract will transfer to a new provider.