Weekly Fire Testing Continues at Sheltered Housing

Tenants of our Sheltered complexes are used to fire alarm testing happening at the same time every week and this will continue for the foreseeable future.

We would ask tenants to continue to stay within their homes whilst these tests are carried out to minimise any potential risks to tenants and staff during the current coronavirus situation.

If tenants hear the fire alarm sounding at any other time, they should follow the fire safety guidance issued at their complex. If any tenant wants to check the timings of the fire alarm testing, these are advertised on the notice board in each complex.

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Temporary Restriction of New Social Tenancies – Private Landlords, Can You Help?

As a result of significant resource restrictions and the suspension of some repairs services, cleaning and furnishing services, we and our Housing Association partners have had to restrict letting of new social rented tenancies, including temporary homeless accommodation, during the coronavirus shutdown.

Due to these unprecedented and difficult circumstances, we have temporarily suspended all housing allocations with the exception of the following groups:

• Discharge from hospital where rehousing is required.  This is a top priority to  support the NHS. 
• People who are roofless or at risk of rough sleeping
• People where there is a serious risk identified whether that be a risk of violence/abuse, including all forms of domestic abuse, or other protection measures are required

We continue to focus our efforts on trying to prevent people from becoming homeless and needing accommodation and are advising people who have been sofa-surfing or staying with friends and family that they follow the government guidance and remain living where they have been, where it is safe to do so. We are also working across our housing teams and partner housing providers to identify and furnish suitable accommodation.

We are looking for help from private landlords to provide private rented tenancies to individuals in the priority groups we have identified, and to work in partnership with us to identify suitable tenants from the priority groups for any properties that are available to let.

Where furnishings are required, and this is needed urgently and cannot be met any other way, we may be able to provide furniture and goods. Our housing staff will also be able to support the household to apply for financial help (if needed) to meet the rent and housing costs.

If you have a property or properties that are available to let and are able to support us to provide housing to these priority groups, please contact the following: 

In Arbroath, Carnoustie or Monifieth – please email HouArbroathCHT@angus.gov.uk

In Brechin or Montrose – please email BrechinMontroseCHT@angus.gov.uk

In Forfar or Kirriemuir – please email ForfarCHT@angus.gov.uk

 

Your support and assistance is appreciated.

 

Housing Planned Maintenance – COVID-19 Update

The following contract work in our tenanted properties has been temporarily put on hold and our contractors are contacting tenants affected by this. Where work has already started, it will be completed as soon as possible and when it is safe to do so: 

• Bathroom upgrades
• Kitchen upgrades
• Energy Efficiency works – open sites are being tidied up and properties where cavity insulation has been extracted will be made wind and water-tight.
• Electrical Testing
• Electric Heating Upgrades
• Window Upgrades
• External Repaints

 

We will be continuing to carry out annual servicing of gas heating systems as we are required to do so by law.

If you have had improvement works cancelled due to the lockdown, please be assured that we will be in touch to reschedule as soon as it is safe to do so. Please keep an eye on the Housing Blog and our website for further updates on our other contracts listed above.

NHS advice can be found on the NHS Coronavirus Covid 19 website –– the main symptoms of the coronavirus include; 

• A new, continuous, dry cough

• A high temperature

We appreciate your co-operation at this time and hope you find this information useful, but if you have any queries about this post, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01307 492094 or by email to HousingTechnical@angus.gov.uk

Advice for Council Tenants Wishing to Give Up Their Tenancy – Updated

If you wish to give up your tenancy you can do so in writing (no termination form will be required). You must give 28 days’ notice.

Your letter can be short but must contain:

• your name and the names of any other joint tenant
• the address of the property
• your forwarding address
• the date you are leaving – but note you must give 28 days’ notice
• your reason for leaving
• the signatures of all tenants

Please deliver your letter and your keys to your local Housing office

The addresses are as follows:

Arbroath/Carnoustie/Monifieth – Dewar House, 12-14 Hill Terrace, Arbroath DD11 1AJ

Forfar/Kirriemuir – Montrose Road Centre, Montrose Road, Forfar DD8 2HT

Brechin/Montrose – Townhouse, High Street, Montrose DD10 8QW

 

The current Government advice is you should only move house

if the property you are moving into is empty.

 

 

 

Support and financial advice during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Anyone who is experiencing financial difficulties, concerns or questions about their circumstances should seek out the right information and support as soon as they can.

We realise that some people who pay Council Tax and Rent may have their incomes affected as a result of the measures taken in response to COVID-19. That could result in them having difficulty in paying their Council Tax or Rent.

If you think you may have difficulty paying your Council Tax or Rent then please contact the Council as soon as possible on 03452 777 778 and we will discuss it with you.

We know that our phone lines will continue to be extremely busy so, if it is an option, please use our online services, including our Contact the Council webpage, which provides information on ways to get in touch and to access council services.

We also recognise that some people in Angus may now require to Access Welfare Entitlements, where they might not have needed to previously. You will find helpful information about Benefits and Money Advice on our website.

For more details on financial advice and assistance see the Angus Council News website.

See the Angus Council News general website for daily updates.

Changes to Repairs Delivery Due to Coronavirus

 INFORMATION FOR ANGUS COUNCIL TENANTS

On 17 March 2020 the Government advised that people most at risk from the coronavirus were strongly advised to reduce unnecessary contact with others. To slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), the general public were asked to stay at home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary social contact.

So we can achieve this, we have reviewed our housing repairs service.

To safeguard the health and safety of tenants, staff and contractors, we will only be carrying out emergency repairs inside tenants’ homes from Monday 23 March 2020.

We will continue to carry out all communal and external works to our properties as normal. In the meantime we are suspending the Right to Repair.

The reduced list of emergency repairs which we will still do is:

• Loss of heating and/or hot water – Total loss of both heating & hot water with no electric shower
• Uncontainable leak
• Sewage backing up and overflowing into the property
• Serious security problem, such as a front door that cannot be locked
• Loss of essential services, such as water or electricity

When you contact ACCESS line to report a repair, we will ask you the following questions to help us determine how best to protect against the spread of the virus:

1. Have you returned from any risk areas as identified by the government within the last 14 days?
2. Has a member of your household returned from any of the same risk areas within the last 14 days?
3. Has anyone you work or socialise with closely been subject to exposure for corona virus within the last 14 days?
4. Are you in a vulnerable group as identified in government guidance?

We will then:

1. Assess the repair required and if it is classed as emergency, your repair will be processed in the normal way.
2. If your repair is not classed as Emergency we will not carry out the repair at this time,.
3. Please be advised that contractors will be required to wear specialised personal protective equipment while in your property.

If you are reporting a gas repair to WRB directly you will be asked the same questions to allow them to assess how they will deal with your repair.

Once the risk has reduced and we are in a position to resume other emergency, urgent and routine repairs, we will advise of this as soon as we can. You will need to report any repairs we have been unable to do in the meantime. We are sure that you will appreciate how challenging the current situation is for everyone but, please be assured that our reason for this temporary measure is to keep tenants, staff and contractors safe.

 

Third Sector Health Hub events – Cancelled

In line with national guidelines, the Third Sector Health Hub events

have been cancelled due to the spread of coronavirus.

 

 

One Discounted Value Affordable House Left for Sale in Edzell

There is only one property left for discounted sale at Eskside East Mains in Edzell

This property offers exceptional value, more information can be found at the Thorntons Property website and at our Housing Developments website.

We Want to Improve Tenant Involvement in Our Services – Tell Us How

Are you an Angus Council tenant?

We want to make sure that every tenant who wants to be involved in decision-making about the housing service has the opportunity to get involved. Please take our short survey to help improve how we involve tenants in shaping our service.

Council house/garage rent update letters are out!

If you are an Angus Council tenant (including garages and garage sites), you should have received your annual rent update letter for 2020/21 by now.

If you haven’t received your  rent notification, please let us know by emailing HousingQPP@angus.gov.uk or call us on ACCESSLine 03452 777 778.