Greens call for overhaul of council housing management

9 September 2007

Greens have called for an overhaul of the council’s housing management department, the establishment of a citywide tenants’ forum and the introduction of a loyalty card scheme to reward tenants who pay their rents on time.

The measures have been put forward as part of the Green Party’s wide-ranging response to Brighton and Hove City Council’s housing strategy consultation. Greens have also called for the council to develop a coherent strategy to address the issue of student housing, which was ignored in the original consultation document. The need for more support for housing co-ops is also flagged up in the Green response.

Commenting Cllr Bill Randall, Brighton and Hove Green Group of councillors’ housing spokesman said: “While we welcome the council’s proposals to take forward its work with homeless people and minority groups, we believe the draft strategy is weakened by a failure to address the poor performance of the Housing Department, which was highlighted by the last Audit Commission inspection. It urgently needs to be reorganised. Its poor service has a negative impact on the lives of more than 12,000 households in the city – many of them vulnerable and on low incomes.”

Greens say that a loyalty card scheme should be introduced to help reduce rent arrears. Similar schemes introduced by councils elsewhere have shown that they can dramatically reduce arrears and rewarded tenants for very little investment.

“The housing needs of Brighton and Hove’s 33,000 student population have not been addressed in the consultation document,” continued Cllr Randall. “This is a serious omission. ‘Studentification’ is becoming in a serious problem in inner city wards where local people are beginning to regard the universities as cuckoos in the nest rather than an asset to the city. Any further expansion of the city’s universities must be informed by a strategic appraisal of housing and other infrastructure needs.”

Greens are also critical of the way the Council has failed to give any commitment towards sustainability. and is calling for a higher percentage of affordable homes as a matter of urgency.

“Housing accounts for 44% of the city’s CO2 emission and dealing with this effectively is one of the most serious challenges facing the city over the next five years. The lack of any strategy is truly disappointing,” said Cllr Randall.

On homelessness the Greens urges the city council to introduce a 50% affordable homes policy and for greater use to be made of compulsory purchase and leasing powers to bring into use empty homes that have been empty for more than six months.

Notes to editors:

Further press information: Geoffrey Bowden Brighton & Hove Green Party External Communications Co-ordinator 07985 682 683.

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