Home Maintenance for low income owner occupiers

Overview

The House Condition Survey 2010 showed that 9,213 owner occupied households on a low income live in homes in Leicester that are below the decent homes standard. Many of these homes need adaptations, repairs or maintenance. ‘Low income’ households are defined as those living on one or more means tested benefits.

Many of these people need help to carry out repairs and/or to find a reputable contractor to do the work and ensure it is completed to the right standard.

The council has contracted Papworth Trust, a national disability charity to provide help to older and disabled people to find funding for home improvement and to support them through the process of finding a contractor to do the work and seeing it through to completion. However the contract with Papworth Trust is coming to an end on 31^st March 2014.

Why your views matter

In practice, it has been difficult for Papworth Trust to provide an effective service to many people because of:

• the lack of grants now available for people to access because of the financial climate; and
• the reluctance of many home owners to take out equity release loans.

The council and some voluntary organisations also provide home maintenance support and services for this group of people, and the council has decided to review its approach to home maintenance to help ensure that an effective and efficient service is being provided overall.

The council is consulting on three options, and seeking further options and comments in order to help to decide on the best way forward.

Please click on the link below to take part in the consultation. On the first page you will find information on the current situation regarding Home Maintenance, followed by a questionnaire on our proposals for the future of the service.