Plans for a new, Council-sponsored, not-for-profit community landlord outlined in the last issue of Openhouse are taking shape. The Boroughwide Compact Group agreed a working name EastEndHomes for the new landlord at their last meeting.

So what would the new organisation look like? Paul Bloss, Assistant Director of Housing, explains: “The main focus would be on local priorities – what local people want for their homes and estates.”

The organisation would therefore have a group structure a single, borough wide organisation but allowing for a great deal of independence for individual estates. EastEndHomes would be community led.

Residents would have a significant number of places on the main board of directors and a majority on the local boards, if this is what individual estates choose.

The whole structure of the organisation will be designed to give local people genuine

control over the way their estates are managed. Residents from each estate that opts to work with EastEndHomes will be able to choose how much local involvement and responsibility for the management of their homes that they wish to take on.

“The organisation would be completely accountable to residents, and they would have real control over the services they receive,” explains Paul Bloss.

Open House No 8