Housing Minister Admires Sheffield’s 7000th Decent Home
Deepcar tenant Linda Crosby marked a major milestone in Sheffield’s Decent Homes programme today, by showing off her newly improved home to the Minister for Housing and Planning, Yvette Cooper MP.
Linda is the 7000th council tenant to receive Decent Homes works from Sheffield Homes, the organisation set up by Sheffield City Council to manage and improve local homes. She welcomed the Minister into her home to see her new kitchen and bathroom, which have transformed the home she shares with her two children and three year old grandson.
She said, "The difference it has made is unbelievable. I now have my dream kitchen; laid out how I wanted it with lots of storage and still room to fit in a table. The bathroom is brilliant too. I have a new suite and a shower, which we didn't have before. It's made me want to decorate the rest of the house! The workmen who did all of this were great. Overall we have a lot more space and are a lot more comfortable. It's just perfect."
Visiting the property, Yvette Cooper commented,
"It's wonderful to see how our £40bn Decent Homes programme is changing people's lives.
"We've now put 500,000 new kitchens, 350,000 new bathrooms and 630,000 new boilers into homes. We have re-wired 500,000 homes to ensure that they meet fire and safety requirements, and we are working to improve energy efficiency.
"This means up and down the country people like Linda are living in warmer homes with up-to-date kitchens and bathrooms."
Sheffield Homes is managing the largest Decent Homes programme in the country, delivering £669million of Government-funded improvements to over 40,000 council homes by 2010. The work is being carried out in partnership with Keepmoat, which carried out the work to this property, plus Kier Sheffield LLP; Lovell Partnerships Ltd; Mears Group plc and Connaught Property Services Ltd.
Chief Executive Peter Morton commented, “The Decent Homes programme is transforming homes across the city and we are delighted that the Minister has come to see its impact. We have worked closely with our customers to get this programme right by involving them at every stage, from selecting the contractors, right through to choosing quality fittings and inspecting the finished results.”
Cllr Chris Weldon, Cabinet Member for Safer Neighbourhoods said; "The Decent Homes programme is making a huge difference to the lives of tenants across Sheffield and work is now underway in several areas of the city. We are committed to making sure that all neighbourhoods in Sheffield are successful, places where people choose to live, with a good mix of high quality housing."