Options Appraisal is an opportunity for you the tenant, other tenants, leaseholders, housing staff, members and other stakeholders to consider different ways that the services currently provided by Enfield Housing Services could be provided in future.
It is your opportunity to have your say, to make a difference, influence the future of your home and the local community.


Why Options Appraisal?

As part of the Governments vision to improve housing conditions in all tenures and contribute to the creation of successful, thriving and inclusive communities, they have set a target for every local authority in the country to undertake an Options Appraisal of their housing stock between now and July 2005.

The Options Appraisal Process

Guidance issued in June 2003, which required local authorities to prove that they could meet the Decent Homes standard by the year 2010. Part of this is a process that identifies how residents want their homes to be maintained and managed in the future.
The Options Appraisal process goes further than the Decent Homes Standard; the process will identify the options that are available and looks at how well each of the options meets the needs. More importantly, residents must be consulted about the facilities that they want for their homes, the standard of those facilities and also the kind of management services that they receive. The appraisal must also look at what types of homes are needed by families in Enfield now, are likely to be needed in the future, and whether the council have enough of the right type or size of home. It is about the total Housing Service provided by the council and not just about the buildings. The appraisal will also look at how well each of the options will give you, the resident, what you want and will, as you might expect, determine who will be responsible for the management of your home and how much money will be available to spend on it.
The government will not accept the Options Appraisal unless Enfield Council can demonstrate that residents have been fully consulted, were made wholly aware of the implications of each option, and were a key part of the decision-making process.
Remember:-The Future of Your Home is in Your Hands.


Option 1

Arms Length Management organisation (ALMO)
This would involve the setting up of a 'not for profit' company to manage and deliver the landlord services of some or all of the housing stock. This would mean that the council would still own the properties and you will still be council tenants and leaseholders.
The 'not for profit' company will have an agreement with the council for a period of time most likely 5-10 years. It will be managed by a board of tenants, elected members and independent people, usually from the local community, each group usually holding an equal ratio.
If the ALMO is assessed and achieves a 2 Star rating from the government, additional monies may be made available to spend on improving homes and services in Enfield.
No formal ballot of tenants is necessary.


Option 2

Private Finance Initiative.
This would mean the council entering into a contract with a private organisation that will raise the money to carry out improvements and may be asked to deliver other services. The Council will have to pay the organisation for any services that it may provide. This type of arrangement has been used to build new schools and hospitals in the past, but is somewhat new for housing. This would mean that the council will still own the properties.
A 'Special Purpose Vehicle' (SPV) will be set up to run parts of the housing service for a period of time most likely 25-30 years in return for an annual fee, and is intended to make profit. An SPV is usually made up of a group involving a bank a builder and a housing association. Tenants are able to become involved in the selection, monitoring and performance of any SPV, but are not able to be involved in the management of the contract. The government will provide additional money where a PFI contract is set up.
No formal ballot of tenants is necessary.


Option 3

Stock Transfer
This would mean the Council transferring the ownership of all or part of the housing stock to a Registered Social Landlord. This would mean that the council would no longer own the properties and you will become tenants and leaseholders of the new Registered Social Landlord.
The transfer may be called a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer if more than 500 properties are being transferred, and certain rules will apply. The new landlord may possibly be an existing housing association, or one set up specifically for the purpose of the transfer.
Management will usually be by a board of tenants, elected members and independent people, usually from the local community, each group usually holding an equal ratio. Whilst most of the rights of existing tenants stay the same, your tenancy will change from secure to assured.
There will be a need for a formal ballot of all residents and, if agreed, the government will provide additional money to any new landlord.


Option 4

Stock Retention
This would mean the Council keeping the ownership and management arrangements by and large as they are now and the council funding the necessary investment from its' own resources.
This would mean that the council would still be the landlord and would still provide the housing services, however the council would have to take account of any service priorities or levels that have been agreed.
If the council retain the ownership and management, the government will not provide any additional funding.


Option 5

Combination of the Above
This would mean exploring a combination of the different options listed above.
It may possibly be that the best solution for Enfield is a mixture of the other four options, with different arrangements for different areas, estates or property types.