OLDHAM Council is launching a new housing strategy after ending its contract with First Choice Homes.

FCHO has provided the borough’s housing advice, homeless, temporary accommodation, allocations, central access point and tenancy relations services (HASWAS) since 2002.

The services, under contract for Oldham Council, continued when FCHO became a housing association in 2011.

The last contract was tendered, won and agreed in December, 2015 for a period of three years.

But now Cllr Hannah Roberts, Oldham Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “The council is proposing to introduce a new housing strategy which sets out our vision for the next five years.

“Included in this is our new allocations policy, which aims to help those in the borough identified as being in real need of support.

“We’re also continually looking at and updating the services we provide to residents and will now bring our Housing Advice and Homelessness Service back in house and run it from the Civic Centre - helping us to deliver an all-round quality housing offer.

“FCHO have done a great job delivering the service on our behalf over the last few years and we’ll continue to work with them as a valued partner.

“Importantly, there will be no break in service to residents – the only change they’ll see is the same service being delivered from a different town centre location.

“The changes will be fully operational in the coming months.”

Vinny Roche, FCHO’s chief executive, said: “Our contract to deliver Social Welfare Advice Services for Oldham Council has come to an end.

“We have been in talks with the local authority for some time about how best to move forward in delivering these services, and appreciate there is significant pressure on public finances.

“Our priority now will be to negotiate the transition of colleagues and services to Oldham Council over the coming weeks and months and ensure service users are not impacted by this change.

“A number of colleagues delivering key services linked to this contract will transfer through TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment).”