The Government's Decent Homes Standard

The Government requires that all councils and housing associations meet a basic decency standard, the Decent Homes Standard. SCDC has to meet the standard by 2012 and keep its homes up to that standard in the long term future.

The Council will be able to reach the standard by 2012 but cannot maintain it within the expected level of resources.
An independent financial consultant has worked with tenants, Councillors and staff on the Council's future finances. This showed that the Council has at least £100 million LESS than it needs to maintain the basic decent homes standard over the next 30 years.

The South Cambridgeshire Standard

The Council must bring all homes up to the basic Decent Homes Standard by 2012. This is a minimum target. It does not include, for example, double glazed windows and new front and back doors, improvements to fences and gates or any environmental improvements, for example.

Tenants in the district have also said they want MORE than the basic Decent Homes Standard.

We are currently working with tenants to set out all the improvements they would like in the future, to create the South Cambridgeshire Standard, the higher standard tenants want to see.

Work on this standard first began with tenants in 2005, it currently includes external, communal and other service improvements to homes.

The most important elements in a modern home were identified in a survey by the Council's Independent Tenants Advisor PS Consultants:

  • 86% of people rated 'efficient central heating' as their most important issue.
  • 55% said that the second most important issue was a 'modern kitchen'
  • 55% said that uPVC double glazed windows and doors was third on their list
  • 41% voted improved security features next and 37% voted a modern bathroom on their list of most important features of a modern home.

boiler

If you have any questions on Housing Futures please contact us by freephone 0800 3285 922 or email us