A Merry Christmas to all our customers from Cllr Paul Wood
As we come to the end of what has been a very different and difficult year for everyone, I want to celebrate and thank you all for the great work and selfless efforts that have helped us through these unprecedented times, be that as an individual looking after your neighbours or community organisations delivering larger support packages.
We have always appreciated the fantastic community spirit out there on our estates but the pandemic really highlighted what a difference that kind of support makes to the most vulnerable and isolated in our society.
Our tenants, staff and community organisations have pulled together to help those that need it the most and I’m incredibly proud of the way in which so many people have gone above and beyond to help others. There are countless examples of this and far too many to mention here but you can read about some of these in our Annual Report.
I would also like to thank you all for your patience and understanding as the Housing Service continues to be affected by the pandemic. We are doing our best to ensure services are running safely and effectively, prioritising when we have to.
You can do your bit by continuing to follow the latest Government rules and restrictions that help to keep everyone safe.
I look forward to 2021 with hope and positivity and hope you all have a peaceful festive season with your loved ones.
Councillor Paul Wood, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety
Contacting the Housing & Neighbourhoods Service over Christmas
If you have a rent, general housing enquiry or need to report a repair, our call centre will be open until and including Christmas Eve between 8:45am and 4:45pm. The call centre will re-open as usual from Monday 4th January 2021.
We will be taking emergency repair requests only on 29th, 30th and 31st December between 8:45am and 4:45pm.
Our out of hours service continues as usual to also respond to emergency repairs in the evenings, overnight, weekends and Bank Holidays. If you need to contact the service out of hours please call 0114 27 34567
We are here to help if you have no one else to support you or if you are self-isolating. Please visit our webpage to find out more information about the support available.
Housing Solutions
Our Housing Solutions service is running as usual between office hours of 8.30am – 5.00 pm on the following dates:
21st – 24th December
29th – 31st December
Opening as usual from Monday 4th January 2021.
Howden House is currently closed for in person enquiries. You can contact the service through our telephone line on 0114 273 6306 or via our online form
Out of Hours is our emergency phone line that will run when we are closed. This is for people who have nowhere to live and have a need for emergency accommodation.
The service can be contacted from 5pm every weekday, and all day on weekends and Bank Holidays. The number to call is 0800 7311689
Waste Services
If you need to report either a blocked chute or fly tipping on Council Housing land between Christmas and New Year then please call 0114 2736957. This service is available between the hours of 8am-4pm Monday 28th December - Thursday 31st December.
To report a blocked chute over the weekend periods please ring 0773 459 5916
Gas safety checks
Every council home has an annual gas safety check to keep people safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. Please call 0114 2734567 in order to confirm or reschedule your gas safety appointment. During this visit, we'll also make sure your central heating system and gas fires are working efficiently to keep you warm. Please make sure we can access your home at the appointment time.
Fire safety tips for Christmas
Enjoy the Christmas celebrations safely by following these simple tips:-
- Check your Christmas tree lights carry the British Safety Standard sign
- Never place candles near your Christmas tree or materials that can catch light easily
- Keep candles, lighters and matches out of children’s reach. Never leave burning candles unattended
-
Test your smoke alarms monthly and only remove batteries when replacing them
- Avoid leaving a cooker unattended and avoid cooking when under the influence of alcohol.
- Make sure your family and visitors know how to escape
in an emergency
- Make sure cigarettes are put out properly
-
Decorations can burn easily – so don’t attach them to lights or heaters
- Never overload electrical sockets. Always switch Christmas lights off and unplug them before you go to bed
- Take care around open fireplaces as clothes may catch fire
- Take time to check on older relatives and neighbours this Christmas as they are at greater risk from fire
To download the 'Wishing you a safe and happy Christmas' online leaflet, please click here
Rent free weeks
This year the rent free weeks will be weeks beginning Monday 14th December 2020 and Monday 21st December 2020.
If you are in arrears, you should continue to pay during the rent free weeks. Whatever you pay will directly reduce your arrears by an equal amount. If you are unable to pay toward your arrears, we are here to help with advice and support. Contact an Income Specialist on 0114 2930000 as early as possible.
For more information you can visit the Council Housing webpage or call the Income Management and Financial Inclusion Team on 0114 2930000.
How should we let our new build council homes?
 New build property at Weakland
We would like your views on how we should let new council homes that are built across the city.
Please spare ten minutes to complete our online survey and let us know what you think. The survey closes on Thursday 31st December.
Click here to take the survey
The next round of our Community Fund scheme is now open!
The fund supports stronger, successful communities by making grants available to local voluntary, community and self-help groups wanting to make a difference in their local neighbourhood. Grants are available for organisations that work with council tenants, or in and around council housing estates in Sheffield and for exciting, innovative projects which would benefit council tenants.
Projects which support local responses to Covid19 are particularly welcomed, but these are not the only activities that will be funded. Please note that all bidders will need to demonstrate how their project will be kept Covid-secure and adhere to the prevailing Covid19-related laws and guidance.
If you are involved in an organisation which could benefit from a Community Fund grant please get in touch with us at CommunityFund@sheffield.gov.uk for further information and to request an application form. The deadline for applications for the next round is Sunday 31st January 2021.
Improvements to your home
In response to Covid-19, we paused some of our home improvement programmes while others, including external adaptations, external wall insulation and emergency heating breakdowns, continued at a reduced level.
All programmes have now started again, with health and safety being our top priority. We continue to liaise with our contractors to ensure employees have the right equipment and adopt safe working practices, at a safe distance from others.
We are continuing to acquire new properties and complete any improvement work needed so we have more homes for people in Sheffield.
We have refurbished 282 garage blocks, which will benefit 1891 tenants.
The cladding work at Hanover Tower Block is now complete and we have replaced the vast majority of the flat entrance doors. We would like to say a big thank-you to all the tenants for allowing us access to replace these doors in such difficult circumstances.
We have restarted internal adaptations and will contact all affected customers before work begins.
We have also begun minor demolitions to outhouses and garages.
Our roofing replacement project, which starts in January 2021, will involve renewing roof coverings, roofline and rainwater good to around 5500 properties across the city over 5 years. If you are affected by this work, we will contact you beforehand.
Our electrical upgrade programme runs through to the end of March 2021, when we will have completed over 13,000 properties. There could be a minor extension due to delays caused by the pandemic. The second phase of this programme is scheduled to begin around September 2021.
The obsolete boiler replacement programme continues through to the end of March 2021.
Our five-year home improvement programme to replace kitchens, bathrooms and windows to properties where this work was not completed under previous Decent Homes programmes is scheduled to start in the summer 2021. If you are affected by this work, we will contact you beforehand.
We are at the early stage of developing two external wall insulation projects for several types of non-traditional build properties located across the city.
For more information please contact the Asset Management Team on 0114 2930000
Contacting us
As we’re sure you’ll understand, we are prioritising urgent and serious situations so only call us if this applies to you. Please bear with us if it takes longer than usual to answer your call.
There’s lots of information about our services online. Don’t forget you can still pay your rent, check your rent balance and set up a Direct Debit (the easiest way to pay your rent) on our website.
You can email us here, write to us (Housing and Neighbourhood Service, PO Box 5967, Sheffield S2 9GH) or follow us on Facebook for the latest updates.
Our Housing Offices remain closed until further notice.
Keeping up to date
Find out about the latest changes to services on our website. We will continue to send you fortnightly bulletins with the latest news and information you need.
Sheffield City Council is issuing regular updates by email about advice and changes to services during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Keep informed by signing up now
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