1,000 jobs at risk as vote ends housing body

Around 1,000 staff were told their jobs were at risk in the move, which Sheffield Council said would save taxpayers around £1.2m a year.

The council carried out a ballot of tenants asking whether they wanted their homes managed directly by the authority or to continue under the so-called arms length management organisation (ALMO) Sheffield Homes.

The city’s housing spokesman Coun Harry Harpham revealed the results yesterday and said 88 per cent of those who had taken part had voted for the change.

Around 26,500 votes were cast, a turnout of 55 per cent of Sheffield Homes’ 40,000 tenants.

Coun Harpham said he “could not guarantee” any jobs within the organisation, which was founded to access Government Decent Homes cash, to refurbish social housing.

He added: “This is a big decision for the city and will determine how we shape council housing in the future.

“We would like to thank Sheffield Homes for the great job it has done over the last eight years.”

Coun Harpham said the results of the ballot would be used to inform an official decision which will be made by the council’s ruling cabinet on March 21.

Senior staff at Sheffield Homes were told yesterday afternoon. Nobody from the organisation was available for comment.