It is important to get our definitions right before damning the key worker living programme and zone agents’ performance (“Keep the champagne on ice”, 11 March, page 28).

Zone agents were established for KWL-funded schemes, not schemes developed through Challenge Fund grant. Challenge Fund schemes, by definition, have different key worker eligibility criteria and registered social landlords have full responsibility for marketing them. Very few KWL new build schemes have been developed yet because the scheme only started in April 2004 – and none has reported problems with demand.

Talk of the programme being a failure is therefore grossly inaccurate. It is galling to hear an RSL admit to “chasing grant” and then try to blame the zone agent when a scheme doesn’t sell – responsible RSLs will always assess demand and values before bidding for funding. Just because demand is so huge, it doesn’t mean that key workers will want to live in homes in poor locations or homes that are incorrectly priced.

Zone agents are responsible for broad brush promotion of KWL products, not scheme-specific marketing.

The “champagne is on ice” because we are only one year into a two-year programme, but signs are good with zone agents having attracted in excess of 21,000 applications. Well over 3000 of people who submitted these have already bought homes – with more than 400 new build purchases.

The remaining applications are held on our databases and are sent to RSLs when requested.

Steve Nunn, director (operations)Tower Homes (zone agent for South-east and South-west London)

Source

Housing Today