Housing Transfer

On 1 July 2024, plans for the biggest change in housing in Newcastle in over 20 years became a reality as all council homes and housing services transferred to the council.

This means we now manage all council homes in Newcastle. We also deliver all housing services including supported living, repairs and maintenance and homelessness prevention.

The changes, which saw the closure of Your Homes Newcastle, are key to achieving our vision for housing in the city. 

Our vision for the future of housing

We want all our residents to have a chance to live in a place that meets their needs. Somewhere you can call home and where you can live a happy and healthy life.

Our vision is to provide good quality, sustainable homes that are not just the foundation for a good life but the key to our city's success. We know there are areas for improvement, things that we can do better. We want to put our tenants, leaseholders and residents at the heart of what we do. We want your priorities to help shape the future of housing in our city now and for the future. 

Change is happening

The housing transfer is an opportunity to make our homes and housing services better than ever. We know change won't happen overnight but it is an important part of our plan for housing in Newcastle.

Bringing all our housing services together in our new Housing and Communities Directorate will help us provide more joined up services. We are committed to creating an environment where we don't just talk to you but where we listen to what you say and make sure your voices are heard. We will be arranging regular drop in sessions, attending community events and holding walkabouts in different areas of the city to find out what you think so we can create a prioritised plan for improvement.

Security matters

We want everyone in our city to be as safe as possible. We know some unscrupulous people might tyre to use the housing transfer to take advantage of some of our more vulnerable residents. 

We're working hard to remove the YHN logo and name from all signs, uniforms and vehicles but it might take us a little while to finish this work. This means it is more important than ever to check the identity of everyone who visits your home.

Everyone who delivers housing services will carry a Newcastle City Council identity badge. If someone shows you a YHN identity badge please do not let them into your home.

If someone has the wrong badge or you aren't sure if they are genuine then please phone 0191 278 7878 to confirm their identity.

About the housing transfer

In 2004, YHN was set up to access government funding to improve homes. With the funding no longer available, changing regulations, financial challenges in the social housing sector and an increasing demand for council homes we needed to change the way we delivered housing services. 

On 29 November 2023, following a consultation with tenants, leaseholders and residents, the cabinet decided to go ahead with plans to close YHN and bring all housing services back in house. You can read the full cabinet report including the consultation report at http://tiny.cc/housing-report-NCC.

The housing transfer is an important part of our plans for the future of housing in Newcastle. It is the first step to delivering better council homes and housing services but most things won't change straight away 

What the changes for you

Will my tenancy agreement or lease change?

Tenancy and leasehold agreements, rent and service charges won't change because of the housing transfer. You will receive the same services as you do now but the people who deliver them will work for the council.

Has my landlord changed?

No. The council has always owned all council homes in the city. We were always your landlord and that hasn't changed.

Will the way I pay my rent change?

No. You can continue to pay your rent and your service charges in the same way you do now. You can find out more about how to pay your rent at newcastle.gov.uk/pay-your-rent. 

Will my rent or service charges go up?

Your rent and service charges won't change because of the housing transfer. We will continue to assess rent and service charges every year in the same way we always have.

Has the way I request a repair changed?

No. You can still  request repairs in the same way.  You can request a repair online at newcastle.gov.uk/request-a-repair

Can I still get in touch in the same way

You can still use the same phone numbers but some of our email and web addresses have changed. You can find more information in the keeping in touch section below. 

Do I need to do anything different because of the changes?

No, You can use the same services and talk to us in the same way you do now but please use our new email and web addresses.

How will you improve tenant and leaseholder involvement

We have already started to improve the way we engage with tenants and leaseholders. For example, tenants helped develop interview questions for the new Directore of Housing and Communities role.

We know there is more to do and we are looking at different ways of engaging and involving you in our decision making processes. Keep an eye on this page for more information and opportunities to get involved.

How will I know if any of my services are changing

If we need to change the way we deliver your individual services we will contact you directly before any changes are made.

What are the benefits of the housing transfer

By bringing all our housing services together we will be able to put people at the heart of what we do. It will also make it easier for people delivering housing services to work with other council services that might impact on how and where you live. Not having a different organisation to manage and deliver housing services will save around £1 million a year, money that could be used to improve homes and services. 

We also believe that bringing housing services into the council will make improve communication and make it easier for you to hold us to account if you aren't happy about something. You will be able to talk directly to your landlord, the council, instead of going through a separate organisation. The people who deliver your services will to senior council managers and councillors so it will be easier for you to raise concerns, make complaints and share compliments. 

Are you going to stop delivering some housing services?

We haven't stopped delivering any services because of the housing transfer but we are looking at how we can improve the way we deliver services.  

I live in supported accommodation. Will my services change?

If you live in a council housing plus scheme, assisted living development or other type of supported housing you will still receive the services you need but the people who deliver the services work for the council now. .

Will you still use the YHN name or logo

No. We are working hard to remove the YHN name and logo from all buildings, signs, uniforms and vehicles. All identity badges have been changed and none of our employees will carry YHN identity badges. Please make sure you check identity badges carefully before you let anyone into your home. 

How can I share my ideas for improving housing services?

We always welcome suggestions for how we can improve our services. If you have any ideas about how we might be able to improve our housing services please send details to housing.review@newcastle.gov.uk.

Why can't I get onto the YHN website

The YHN website is no longer in use. All the information you need has been moved onto the council housing section of our website. You can find this at www.newcastle.gov.uk/council-housing

How do I apply for a council house

The way you apply for a council house hasn't changed. You can still search and apply for council and social housing in Newcastle and manager your application on the Newcastle Homes website at www.newcastlehomes.org.uk

Keeping in touch

Council homes and housing services are now managed and delivered by the council and you can contact us directly. This means some of our contact details have changed. 

Contacting us by email

All email address will change to council email addresses. If you email an old YHN email address it will automatically go to the new council email address. Responses will be sent from the ne email address.

General enquiries: council.housing@newcastle.gov.uk 

Repairs: repairs@necastle.gov.uk

Damp and mould: dm@newcastle.gov.uk

Contacting us by phone

Most of the phone numbers you use to contact us are staying the same. Some of the people who work for us may have new mobile phone numbers. We will let you know if any of the phone numbers you use are going to change. You can still get in touch by calling our contact centre.

Contact centre: o191 278 7878

Alternative formats

If you need the information on this page in an alternative format please contact us by emailing housing.review@newcastle.gov.uk or by phone on 0191 2787878.