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New group promotes healthier homes
TEAMS from across the North West are joining together to
promote healthier housing conditions in the region. The award winning Healthy
Homes Programme, initiated by Liverpool City Council and commissioned by public
health, aims to prevent ill health and injury resulting from poor quality
housing conditions. Now a Housing and Health group, has been set up with similar
teams from other organisations including those from Knowsley Council, Wirral
Council, Blackpool Coasting Housing and St Helens Council. It aims to let teams
pool knowledge and experience and share best practice. It will also enable joint
bids to be made for funding including those for Euro funds. It is intended to
include other authorities which have similar schemes and hold a national
conference in spring next year. "Our Healthy Homes team has been very
successful in helping to improve housing conditions, but you can always learn
from other people’s experiences. For example, we have recently gained Home
Improvement Agency status, meaning we can help elderly people care and repair
for their homes. This is a status Blackpool already has so we will be keen to
hear about how they operate. And, of course we will be letting other healthy
home teams know about what works well for us in Liverpool. Importantly, by
joining together we will have much more clout when we are applying for funds
which will enable us to improve housing conditions across a wide area."
said Councillor Frank Hont, Liverpool City Council cabinet member for housing. |
