One Vision Housing

This page gives answers to frequently asked questions about the Decent Homes programme. Let us know if you would like to find out more.

i) What is a Decent Home?

To set a national target, the Government have developed a common definition of what a "Decent Home" is.

Under this definition a Decent Home should:

• meet the current legal minimum standard for housing
• be in a reasonable state of repair
• provide reasonable thermal comfort

Here is more information on these definitions:

A. Meet the current legal minimum standard for housing

This covers things like the structure, heating, lighting and ventilation, water supply, cooking, washing and WC facilities.

B. Be in a reasonable state of repair

A home that fails to meet this part of the standard will either have:

One or more "key building components", such as its roof, windows, heating or walls, that are old, and because of their condition, need replacing or major repair - such as the roof, windows, walls or heating, or it has:

Two or more "other building components" such as the guttering or internal doors, that are old and because of their condition need replacing or major repair.

C. Have reasonably modern facilities

A home will fail this part of the standard if it lacks three or more of the following:

• a reasonably modern kitchen (20 years old or less)
• a kitchen with adequate space and layout
• a reasonably modern bathroom (30 years or less)
• an appropriately located bathroom and WC
• adequate insulation against external noise (where external noise is a problem)
• adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats

Therefore, as long as a home has no more than two of the above failures, it will comply with the Decent Homes Standard.

One Vision Housing's Decent Homes Programme has been put together with the aim of ensuring that, by the end of 2010, each home will have no more than two of the above failures.

D. Provides reasonable thermal comfort

This requires a home to have effective insulation and efficient programmable central heating.

Because gas / oil heating is more efficient than electric storage heaters, higher levels of thermal insulation are required for electric heating systems.

ii) What does the standard apply to?

The Decent Homes Standard only applies to the actual property. It does not apply to the quality of the area around the home, like that from the front door to the street, or the environment of the neighbourhood. A home can fail the Decent Homes Standard because of a number of items. So bringing the home up  to the standard can vary from address to address depending on the work carried out in the past and the effects of wear and tear.

However One Vision Housing has promised to exceed this through the delivery of the Sefton Standard. This covers works to the outside of homes as well as inside. As a result we have committed an additional £50m to develop environmental improvements across the borough.

iii) What will happen after 2010?

One Vision Housing is committed to continous improvement and to ensuring that once all homes are made to comply with the Decent Homes Standard by 2010, they are kept that way.

That is why we have committed to invest over £610m over the next 30 years, ensuring that future generations in Sefton will enjoy safe, modern homes and viable, inclusive communities.

iv) Is my home affected?

If work is needed to your home to make it comply with the Decent Homes Standard, we will arrange for someone to contact you personally to discuss what needs to be done.

If you would like to find out exactly when the work is scheduled to begin and what improvements you can expect please  see our
Work to your Home  page

v) What choices will I have?

One Vision Housing has a strong commitment to providing a choice of services to our customers. This means that where work has to be done you will be consulted in detail.

This consultation will include:

• when and how work is done
• proposals for your bathroom or the layout of your kitchen
• the choice of finishes available for any kitchens to be renewed, e.g. kitchen units, worktops, flooring and wall tiling
• the choice of finishes available for bathroom suites

vi) What priorities are there?

We are working closely with various groups of tenant representatives to establish the best way of deciding which homes will receive what work first.

Our stock condition survey data tells us that the various types of work required in homes needs to be undertaken between now and 2010. This is generally based upon the age and condition of elements in a home.

However, following consultations with Tenant Representatives, it has been suggested that we should group works together, if a number of different types of work are required inside a home to make it comply with the Decent Homes Standard.

For example, a home receiving the installation of a new central heating system, a new kitchen and a new bathroom would be undertaken, where possible, as part of the same project in the same year, rather than as part of different projects over a number of different years.

Contractors carrying out the works would also favour this method, as it would be the most efficient way of carrying out and properly supervising improvements to large numbers of homes.

The programme of work showing the year each neighbourhood has currently been targeted to receive Decent Homes works is provided on ourWork to your Home page.

The programme indicates the total number of properties in each neighbourhood and the target number of homes in those neighbourhoods that our records currently show as requiring Decent Homes work, subject to further survey. The typical nature of work required in each neighbourhood is also shown on the programme.

Following consultations with Tenant Representatives, the priority of neighbourhoods has been assessed according to the average cost of work rquired in the neighbourhood.

It is important to point out that work indicated in any published target programme, may have to be adjusted to cater for any unforeseen circumstances we find as works are undertaken. However, we will make every effort to avoid such changes.

vii) What is the extent of works in homes? 

Different elements of work will be required in different homes to comply with the Decent Homes Standard.

Some homes scheduled for work under the target Decent Homes programme may have already received response repair work or other improvement work since our stock condition survey was carried out.

This may mean that when we come to re-survey your home, in the year works are scheduled to be undertaken in your neighbourhood, some elements of your home may have received a replacement kitchen or very significant repairs, within the last five years.

Your home may not therefore require the full extent of work we have included in our target programme, to meet the Decent Homes Standard. This will be discussed with you when your home is resurveyed.

viii) What if I don't want work carried out?

It obviously makes sense to have work carried out to your home while we are working on other homes in your neighbourhood.

Remember, the rent you pay for your home will not be affected by the Decent Homes work, whether we undertake the work or not.

However, if you have particular reasons why you would prefer not to have the scheduled work undertaken to your home, we will discuss these with you.

Customers will not be "forced" to have Decent Homes work undertaken, although we will need to safeguard your health and safety and the basic structure of your home.