Housing

Working to Improve Homes in Knowsley

Three key Housing and Environment partners are working to ensure everyone in Knowsley can enjoy a good quality home in a pleasant and safe neighbourhood. These are Knowsley Housing Trust, Villages Housing and Knowsley Council.

• Knowsley Housing Trust is a not for profit, independent Housing Association, providing high quality homes at affordable rents. The Trust also offer housing advice and support to people in housing need.

• Villages Housing manage over 1800 properties in Merseyside, and were formed in 1983 following a voluntary transfer of stock from Knowsley Borough Council. We provide general family homes, bungalows and sheltered flats for the elderly, and more recently, specialised accommodation for people with disabilities and special needs.

You can find out more by exploring the partner websites via the link below.

Knowsley Council

Major housing programmes are currently taking place involving Knowsley Council and partners such as Knowsley Housing Trust and the North Huyton New Deal for Communities to improve homes within Knowsley. The work includes the clearing of the least popular homes and improving the condition of others.

This has occurred in parallel with a boom in the regional and local housing markets. Over the last twelve months house prices in Knowsley have risen by 43%, far in excess of the regional average. Indeed for the first time, the average price of a home sold on the open market in Knowsley is more than £100,000.

Increasing house prices is very good news which confirms that many housing areas in the Borough are gaining in popularity and catching up with surrounding areas, it can also be a double-edged sword as house prices become unaffordable for many Knowsley households. Therefore Knowsley MBC will be undertaking work to tackle homelessness and demand for housing association rented properties.

It is clear that the Councils efforts to increase economic performance, reduce levels of deprivation, and provide a better range of housing options for all households, the Council must continue to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our society continue to have access to good quality, affordable accommodation.

In prioritising the housing work the Council will consult and listen to those with the best knowledge of housing issues in the Borough: front- line housing professionals such as housing association staff, landlords, estate agents; support, welfare and advice agencies, and of course the most knowledgeable group of all – residents of the Borough who rent, own or who lack decent housing.

Further information can be found on Knowsley Council’s Housing pages, by clicking on the link below.