Member Article

£1 million County Durham home improvement programme

Housing association properties across County Durham are benefiting from a £1 million home improvement programme.

Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association (DAMHA) is carrying out work to hundreds of properties throughout 2016/17.

These improvements include the installation of new central heating boilers, kitchens and bathrooms, as well as roofing repairs and the fitting of new doors and windows.

It forms part of a rolling planned maintenance programme DAMHA carries out to ensure its properties, many of which are over 70 years old, meet national housing standards.

Among those who have already had work completed are Billy and Karen Black, who live in Aged Miners Homes at Four Lane Ends, Hetton-le-Hole.

They have had a new boiler installed in their bungalow, along with an electric fire, new roof, doors and windows.

Mr Black said: “We couldn’t be happier with the all work that has been carried out on our home.

“We were involved throughout the whole process, including being able to choose our own fire, which we can now control with a remote control.

“The old boiler was in the living room but now it’s been moved into the kitchen and with the old fire hearth having also been removed, it has given us much more space.

“We are just now starting to put the heating on more regularly and it feels so much warmer in the house.”

In total, around 500 DAMHA properties in areas such Ferryhill, Hetton le Hole, Trimdon, Blackhall and Consett are included in the planned maintenance programme.

Paul Mullis, DAMHA’s Chief Executive, said: “This year we will be spending £1,198,000 on improvement work to our homes, which represents one of our largest investments in recent years.

“When you consider the age of some of our older properties it is important that we continue to invest in their maintenance so the people living in our homes have warm, energy efficient and attractive properties.”

A full list of the planned maintenance work can be viewed at http://www.damha.org.uk/repair-services/planned-maintenance

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Neil Shaefer .