Friday, July 20, 2007

The future of ALMOs - through the community gateway?

It was interesting to read in this week’s Inside Housing that some arm’s length management organisations are looking at the community gateway model of stock transfer pioneered in Preston.

As I've said before, I am a big fan of the community gateway model as a form of mutually owned and led housing association committed to supporting and working through resident involvement. The community gateway was designed to reassure residents doubtful about stock transfer and traditional forms of housing association.

If some ALMOs move towards stock transfer into community gateways that is good news for ALMO residents. However, I hope that we continue to see ALMOs surviving and prospering beyond their contract contracts to manage council housing. ALMOs are keeping council housing in municipal ownership while introducing new and better management than what went before.

Of course any change in the status of ALMOs must be with the consent of residents. (Defend Council Housing would love to see any evidence of the "two-stage privatisation" that they have sought to scare council tenants with.)

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