Blaby District Council has been awarded for its Homefinder Scheme at the Chartered Institute of Housing Midlands Awards, on Thursday 23 October.

Homefinder was competing against two other schemes for the Business Transformation of the Year award, which it won at the annual awards evening held at Birmingham’s ICC.

The judges were looking for a scheme that had taken steps to deliver a successful and sustainable transformation within an organisation, had built customer trust and loyalty through the delivery of the right products, and embraced innovation, delivering a business strategy suited to the needs of its customers.

They were impressed with how the Homefinder website had improved access to private rented accommodation for the homeless, increased the supply of affordable, good quality private rented accommodation and improved property management standards.

Homefinder is made up of a partnership of Leicestershire city and district councils, and some partners have reported a 50% reduction in the number of temporary accommodation placements reducing significant costs. The scheme has increased housing solutions, provided advice, information and support for landlords, as well identifying rogue landlords.

Cllr Maggie Wright, portfolio holder for Community Services at Blaby District Council, said:

“We are overwhelmed to have won this award, it really wasn’t expected. It’s a fantastic achievement and is a testament to all the hard work and commitment that has gone into the Homefinder scheme to make it a success. We hope the website will continue to grow, reaching more people and provide help and support where needed.”

The CIH Midlands Awards are in its second year, and had over 300 guests from across the housing profession in attendance.

There were nine award categories with a total of 28 finalists.

To find out more about CIH visit www.cih.org/eastmidlands

For further information on the scheme visit www.homefinder.uk.com,

email housing.options@blaby.gov.uk or call 0116 272 7770.