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Sheffield Homes to feature in Japanese 'Safe & Efficient Housing' Programme
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The work of Sheffield Homes gained international recognition when it was selected to feature in a Japanese teaching programme. Professor Hattori of Japan’s University of Air, paid a visit to Sheffield last week to meet with Sheffield Homes’ Director of Investment Jon Lovibond and Decent Homes Programme Manager Iain Allott, to gain an insight into Sheffield Homes’ Decent Homes programme.
The University of Air is very similar to the Open University in the UK with the aim of promoting higher education in Japan. Like the Open University it provides distance learning by means of televised material and lectures. Currently Professor Hattori is producing a series of programmes for a course entitled 'Safe and Efficient Housing'.
Sheffield Homes was selected as the only UK housing organisation to appear in the programme. Its £669 million Decent Homes programme is the largest in the country, with thousands of council tenants showing high levels of satisfaction with their home improvements. It will feature in a televised programme that will be broadcast over four years on cable and satellite channels in Japan. The University will also distribute copies of the programme to fifty of the University’s learning centres throughout Japan for students to access.
Professor Hattori was given a tour of one of the city’s largest areas of council housing at Parson Cross and also paid a visit to Sheffield Homes tenant Hazel Deakin to see for himself the Decent Homes work that has recently been completed on Hazel’s property. He also inspected the Decent Homes Exhibition Trailer which tours the city attending different venues. The trailer contains a fitted kitchen and bathroom and also has samples of new kitchen and bathroom choices for tenants to look at.
Professor Hattori said, “I would like to express a debt of gratitude to the staff at Sheffield Homes that I met whilst visiting the city as well as representatives from Sheffield City Council. I was very impressed by their professionalism and the information and help they gave me will be very useful in my work on safer and efficient housing back at the University of Air in Japan.”
Jon Lovibond said, “We are extremely proud that Sheffield Homes has been singled out to feature in Japan’s University of Air curriculum. For our Decent Homes programme to be recognised internationally is a huge accolade for us and we hope the students gain from our contribution to the ‘Safe and Efficient Housing’ course.”