Consultation on bringing social housing management contract back in-house

What is changing?

Islington Council has two contracts with Partners for Improvement in Islington to manage and maintain some of our street properties homes.

The first contract, called PFI 1, covers approximately 2,000 homes. This contract ends in 2033. The second contract, called PFI 2, covers approximately 4,042 properties. This contract ends in April 2022.

Who are we consulting with?

We are consulting with residents affected by the PFI 2 contract.

Find out if your home is one of the properties covered by the PFI 2 contract.

The options

The options open to the council for managing and maintaining homes after the PFI 2 contract ends in April 2022 are:

Option A - To bring the services back in-house - returning these properties to the direct management of the council.

• The council already manages 25,000 homes, with direct delivery of housing management, repairs and maintenance services
• The council is also responsible for a range of other services to residents including adult and children’s social care, public health and community safety
• The council has democratic governance structures, which means it is directly accountable to residents 

Option B - To outsource - procuring services from an external housing provider, which will deliver services on the council’s behalf.

• The council would carry out a procurement process inviting housing providers, such as other councils, housing associations or private housing providers, to submit their proposal for delivering the service
• The council would select the best proposal based on a combination of service quality and cost and that housing provider would assume the management and maintenance of these homes.

We have not included an option to carry on our current arrangements with Partners after April 2022, as this would not meet legal requirements.

Islington Council’s preferred option is to bring these services back in house – so they return to the direct management of the council.

This is because:

• The council delivers locally focused housing services to thousands of Islington residents. As well as being directly accountable to our residents, we will help make Islington fairer for everyone. By bringing the service in-house, we will be able to co-ordinate the support we provide to these residents, especially the most vulnerable.

Tell us what you think

Please respond to this consultation online.

You can also respond by sending your comments to Sarfraz Khan, PFI Contracts Manager, Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD.

Please see 'Your questions answered' below. If you have further questions, please email PFITeam@islington.gov.uk or call 020 7527 4223.

Please respond by midnight Sunday 22 March 2020 when the consultation will close.

The outcome of the consultation will be shared with residents once a decision has been made.

Your questions answered 

I live in a property covered by the PFI 2 contract, who will manage my home when the contract ends?
The councils preferred option is to directly manage your home. As a large social landlord we already provide excellent housing management services to more than 25,000 residents.

What preparations will the council make to ensure a smooth transition when the PFI 2 contract ends?
We are surveying some PFI 2 properties throughout 2020 to make sure they are returned to the council in good repair and condition. If you get a letter asking if one of our surveyors can access your property, please say ‘yes’ so Partners are aware of any works that must be undertaken to bring your home up to standard. We are working with Partners to make sure residents have all the information they need about the changes.

Will my rent go up because my home’s management and maintenance are provided by a different organisation?
No.

Can you finish the PFI 1 contract early so Islington Council can manage and maintain all council street property homes?
No. The PFI 1 contract expires in 2033.