Its taken 28,992 hours of labour, 33,000 worktops, 26,400 taps and 67,000 meters of wiring, but Brent Housing Partnership (BHP) proudly celebrated the end of the Decent Homes Programme after giving nearly 7,000 council homes a make over (June 13) - four years ahead of schedule..jpg "Cllr Allie (right) and chair of BHP board Kathy Ellison cutting ribbon marking the end of the decent homes programme and the Allington road conversaions")
6638 properties in Brent have had new bathrooms and kitchens fitted. Some have also had additional work such as new windows, rewiring, had external decorations and double glazing.
On top of that, hundreds of tenants with disabilities have been given aids and adaptations to help them live independently in their homes.
Kilburn resident, Pat Biles, is just one of the hundreds of tenants pleased with their new kitchen and bathroom. Pat said: "I couldn't be happier. I chose the cabinets, tiles, lino and helped design my kitchen."
But that's not all we had to be merry about. The conversion of properties in Allington Road made the day a double celebration. The event, which was held in two of the new homes, gave all invited a chance to look at kitchens and bathrooms which had been made decent as well as tour the new properties. The street - which once had 15 houses separated into two flats, now has 15 four bedroom homes, fit for a large family in housing need.
.jpg "Allington Road")
Councillors, board members and BHP staff are just some of the VIP guests who viewed residents' new kitchens and bathrooms at the event.
Cllr James Allie, lead member for housing and community care, said: "BHP was set up in 2002 and began their decent homes programme a year later. Ambitiously, BHP aimed to complete their work ahead of the 2010 deadline.
"Remarkably, within four short years, they did! They have improved the lives of thousands of residents across the borough, whilst maintaining high satisfaction rates and that's something to be celebrated."
Managing Director Helen Evans Said: "Completing the decent homes programme is our biggest achievement yet- this is the reason the ALMO was created.
"We have worked hard to meet our deadlines, keep costs low, but most importantly improve council homes in Brent. We've talked to residents, consulted them all the way through the process and they now have homes they are proud of and a better quality of life.
"Tenants are now living in homes with kitchens and bathrooms that have been upgraded internally for the first time in many years.
"The decent homes programmes main concern was with the condition of individual properties. Our next priority is external improvements - to have cleaner and greener estates for our residents."