Harmonisation of the Housing Needs Service - Central Bedfordshire Council and Aragon Housing Association

On Tuesday, 10th January 2012 the Councils Executive Committee agreed to the harmonisation of the Housing Needs Service by 1st April 2012. The Service is currently provided by Aragon Housing Association in the north and Central Bedfordshire Council in the south of the Central Bedfordshire area.  Permanent access to the service will be available at Watling House, Dunstable and Priory House, Chicksands. There will also be surgeries set up in a number of locations across the Central Bedfordshire area. Work is also underway to provide greater online access to the service. Further details will be available shortly on the surgery locations.

More information will be available over the next few months on what the changes mean for our customers.

For more information Contact Kirsty Jenkins – Project Manager kirsty.jenkins@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

People in the north of Central Bedfordshire will have a new way to access housing advice and homelessness prevention services. From Monday, 2 April 2012, the Housing Needs team at Aragon Housing Association will be transferring to the council.

Anyone who is currently dealing with the team has been made aware of the changes and given new contact details.

Customers will now also be able to access the services from a range of locations across the area.

The key changes are:

• The Housing Options team that provides housing advice and homelessness prevention services will be divided between Watling House, Dunstable and Priory House, Chicksands. The Housing Register team will also be based at Priory House.

• Customers will be able to access the services in person at Watling House and Priory House as well as satellite locations in Ampthill, Biggleswade, and Sandy or via email and phone. The satellite locations are not open every day. Please contact the Housing Needs team to make an appointment.

This change only relates to the housing register, housing advice and homelessness services. All other services Aragon provides remain unchanged. If you are currently an Aragon tenant they will remain as your landlord.

More details can be found in the fact sheet (PDF 25KB).

For more information please contact the Housing Needs Team at  housing.needs@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or on 0300 300 8302