Ambitious housing programme will see over £103m invested in our homes

Over the last five years, the Housing Investment Programme (HIP) has seen in the region of £68.1m invested in our housing stock. This means that over 3500 homes have been installed with new energy efficient heating systems; over 1700 homes have received new kitchens, bathrooms and electrical upgrades and over 3100 homes have benefitted from new external render, insulation and external envelope enhancements.

A further £103.05m will now be invested over a five-year programme in our existing homes and energy efficiency will be at the heart of the improvement works being delivered by the Housing Asset Services team.

The next phase of the external envelope enhancement programme will see £42.83m being invested. This means 450 homes in each year of the programme will benefit from insulation works, external rendering and re-roofing, transforming homes and communities. £5.93m will be invested in new energy efficient windows and doors for 200 homes, along with £13.32m of investment in new Grade “A” energy efficient heating systems for 800 homes each year of the programme. 600 homes each year will also benefit from new kitchens, bathrooms and electrical upgrades. £1.75m will also be invested in a planned programme of cleaning and minor repair works to high-level gutters, rooflines and rainwater goods, for example downpipes and hoppers, helping to protect homes from possible water ingress.

Councillor Jim McMahon, Cabinet Member for Housing, Welfare and Poverty, Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Addiction and Recovery said: “The Housing Asset Management Framework and Housing Investment Programme for 2023 – 2028 sets out significant investment in our existing housing stock. It will ensure that our homes are performing well and meet the needs and aspirations of the people we represent.

“Over the next five years, we will be investing millions in making our homes more energy efficient. Reducing energy usage for our tenants is a real priority and this work will also help us meet our climate change targets. Our investment programme is ambitious and has been designed to address the challenges that were caused by the pandemic, which affected previous improvement programmes. Thousands of tenants are going to benefit from the planned improvement works.

“It is essential that we have the right housing stock in the right communities and that our resources are carefully targeted. To achieve this, we work in partnership with the East Ayrshire Federation of Tenants and Residents, a dedicated group that works very hard representing the people of East Ayrshire; with local community groups and we regularly consult with our tenants. This ensures that local voices are at the centre of every conversation, that we listen to our tenants concerns and know what matters to them. The investment programme is really good news for our tenants and local communities.”