Dundee to consider 2020/21 council housing rent consultations

Proposals to consult with Dundee housing tenants on rent levels for 2020/21 will be considered by Dundee City Council’s neighbourhood services committee next week.

Dundee to consider 2020/21 council housing rent consultations

Councillor Anne Rendall

Councillors will be asked to approve a consultation that includes options for next year’s rent increase of 3%, 3.5% or 4% with the results of the poll being reported back to elected members in January 2020 to allow them to agree the new rent charge.

Anne Rendall, councillor and convener of the Neighbourhood Services Committee, said: “The rent consultation is an extremely important engagement process. We are offering council house tenants three options for next year’s charge, all of which will continue to provide a high-quality service and reflect tenants’ priorities.

“Last month the council agreed to bring forward proposals to remove the shower charge. The re-profiling of our loans repayments has delivered savings that have enabled us to do so and the permanent removal of the charge is reflected in all three options.

“In addition to providing for the increased cost of delivering services, the minimum proposed rise will allow for a further increase of £200,000 in the Hardship Fund for tenants who need financial assistance and sufficient resources to continue to invest in key priorities such as our new build programme and reducing the level of fuel poverty in the city through improving the energy efficiency of all council houses.”

She added: “Our tenants recognise that further investment in energy efficiency through improvements such as external wall insulation and better heating systems provide them with warmer, easier to heat homes.

“The current capital investment programme includes provisions to spend £51m on energy efficiency over the period until 2024 and agreement of the second or third options would provide resources for a further £4.5m or £9m investment respectively over this same period.

“An informed dialogue with our tenants is very important and last year over 2,000 tenants took the opportunity to give their views.

“As in previous years, the consultation will include local community events and discussions with the Dundee Federation of Tenants Association and Registered Tenants Organisations. Information will be displayed on the Council’s website and throughout our public offices.

“There will also be targeted use of relevant social media and guidance for tenants to help them understand what their rent pays for.”

The neighbourhood services committee meets on Monday.

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