£100m invested in home improvements for Hackney residents
Thousands of Hackney residents will benefit from improvements to their homes with the installation of new kitchens and bathrooms thanks to a Council funded programme.
The Hackney Investment Programme (HIP) has replaced the Hackney Homes Decent Homes Programme, created in 2006, with funding from the government to provide a good standard of social housing across the country. Since 2006, Hackney has invested £184m in improvements to Decent Homes and the HIP will see a further £100m invested in kitchens and bathrooms over the next ten years.
As part of the Decent Homes Programme, Hackney Homes has renewed 10,800 kitchens and bathrooms, replaced roofs and windows, rewired homes and installed new heating systems. By the end of 2015, 16,000 Hackney residents’ homes will have received a raft of Decent Homes improvements.
Over the last few years we have transformed the homes of thousands of residents through the Decent Homes scheme. The introduction of the Hackney Investment Programme is set to make a difference to the homes of many more residents across the borough. The HIP is a major investment in Hackney's homes and will be ongoing for several years. We will be writing to those included within the programme to outline the works that are going to take place.
Decent Homes contracts that have delivered for the last five years terminate this year and new contractors for the HIP have begun work replacing kitchens and bathrooms.
Hoxton resident, Paul Costello, who recently received improvements to his kitchen as part of Decent Homes said: “I love my new kitchen. My previous cupboards were falling apart and I’m glad they have now all been replaced. I was able to choose the colour of my worktops and really like the new look, and it is also easy to clean.”
The programme of works for the HIP was developed in partnership with residents, officers and councillors based on a housing stock condition survey. In addition to the internal work under the HIP, Hackney Homes will continue to invest in homes across the borough replacing roofs, windows and heating systems as well as improving estates with an extensive painting programme. This year will also see the installation of a new communal heating and hot water system in nine blocks that will provide more affordable heating and hot water to more than 600 properties.