Hartlepool Partnership

·  Our housing provider partners are on track to meeting the Government's Decent Homes targets and we are also working towards meeting the targets for private sector homes.

·  The Council has approved criteria for the sale of council owned land to housing providers to enable affordable housing to be built and bids for funding to the Housing Corporation have been supported to provide affordable homes. In 2008/9 150 much needed units should be delivered by housing providers in the town

·  The Housing Partnership is part of the innovative Tees Valley Credit Crunch Task Force who are making an offer to the new Home and Communities Agency on how the Tees Valley Partnership can assist delivery of additional housing units if financial support is forthcoming.

·  Building on the successful delivery of the first three HMR sites in Hartlepool , where over 620 properties were assembled and demolished, funding in excess of £16m has been secured for the period 2008 - 2012 to continue the process of gradual renewal of housing in the centre of the Town.  

·  The Vulnerable Persons Panel is proving instrumental to the efficient co-ordination and allocation of vacancies into supported housing schemes. It liaises with private and social housing providers to facilitate move-on into independent tenancies and arranging support services where appropriate.

·  Working with sub-regional partners we have been successful in securing funding for the Prevention of Offender Accommodation Loss (POAL) project, to assist those who may be facing losing their home as a result of going to prison and will help co-ordinate services to secure appropriate rehousing on release.

·  The Housing Partnership has commissioning of a range of floating support services (through Supporting People) to meet complex needs including alcohol support services, helping people to stay in their homes.

·  A Common Allocations Policy has been agreed across the Tees Valley for the implementation of the computerised Choice Based Lettings throughout the sub region and procedures are being developed to ensure vulnerable people can actively participate in the scheme

·  A partnership between Housing Hartlepool & the Council has been successful in securing Department of Health funding for Orwell Walk, which will replace an outdated sheltered housing scheme and old care home/office accommodation with a further extra care scheme. With 60 units to rent and own, Orwell Walk will offer additional choice for older residents.

·  Importantly we have seen the opening of Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust's Retirement Village , Hartfields, a show piece extra care sheltered housing scheme which will offer 250 units to rent and to own.