More than £10m spent on county's social housing (From South Wales Argus)

More than £10m spent on county's social housing

1:10pm Monday 7th December 2009

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IMPROVEMENTS to Monmouthshire homes are well under way with more than £10 million of work carried out since the transfer of the housing stock.

Monmouthshire Housing Association, who now manage the ex-council housing stock, have £190 million of further improvements are planned over the next 30 years.

Monmouthshire Council transferred its housing stock to the Housing Association in January 2008 through a voluntary transfer.

The Association now manages and maintains around 3,600 homes and 290 leasehold properties as well as garages and other land around and within the estate.

The aim of the association is to improve the homes to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2012.

In its bid to meet this target, since the transfer, £10,986,057 of work has been carried out on the homes including replacing doors, fitting double glazed windows and rewiring.

A further £203,000 has also been spent on exterior improvement works, insulation and DigiTv projects.

A total of £190million is still planned to be spent on the homes over the next 30 years on work including home repairs, environmental improvements and making homes disabled-friendly.

The transfer has also created 170 jobs including plumbers, painters and electricians.

One of these is Jessica Davies, 28, of Tredegar who works as an apprentice plumber for the housing association.

Ms Davies who works four days a week spending the other day studying plumbing at Coleg Gwent's Ebbw Vale campus, carries out work including restoring bathrooms and installing new pipework.

She said: "Being offered the apprenticeship was like a dream come true and totally unexpected."

Chief Executive at Monmouthshire Housing Association, John Keegan said: "We are committed to boosting local employment wherever possible and many of our contractors are recruiting highly talented and competent apprentices within Monmouthshire."

Cwmbran company IG Doors also signed a contract with the housing association supplying doors for the properties.

Work carried out by Monmouthshire Housing Association so far

Work Number promised to be completed by 2012 Number completed by Oct 09 Doors 700 1899 Double glazed windows 1531 1163 Rewiring 1300 815 Heating 1250 1026 Kitchens 1850 779 Bathrooms 1700 724

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