New plans for the future of council housing

As buddies start heading off on their summer holidays I wanted to write about the new plans for the future of council housing here in Renfrewshire.

All council tenants will be balloted later this year about whether they wish to become tenants of the new not-for-profit Renfrewshire Housing Association (RHA).

I have been a strong supporter of giving tenants more control over their homes since I entered the Scottish Parliament. I am impressed by what Renfrewshire Housing Association plan to offer local tenants, including:

• Modernising all homes to the Renfrewshire Standard (exceeding the national standard) by 2015

• Investing over £1 billion over 30 years to improve and maintain existing council homes

• Guaranteeing inflation-only rent rises for 5 years

• Having tenants sitting on the RHA Board

• Improving housing services including faster repairs

• Preserving all existing tenants’ rights

The new Renfrewshire Standard includes new kitchens and bathrooms, full double glazing and improved safety and security measures. This scale of new investment has been made possible by funding package made available by the Scottish Executive.

The crucial thing in the coming months is that tenants will make the choice about whether they wish to become tenants of the future Renfrewshire Housing Association.

If tenants vote yes, 14,000 homes in Renfrewshire will move into community ownership. Renfrewshire Housing Association is a not-for-profit housing organisation, set up for the benefit of the community. Any surpluses must be reinvested in housing maintenance and housing services. This will help keep rents down and improve housing services.

If you would like to know more Renfrewshire Housing Association have opened a tenant information centre in Gilmour Street in Paisley and this has proved very popular with tenants. Alternatively you can call free on 0800-731-7168 for information and advice.

Last week a new website aimed at raising children’s awareness of fire safety precautions was launched as part of the Scottish Executive’s Don’t Give Fire a Home campaign.

The site includes a ‘hazard house’ game, which asks children to work against the clock to identify safety hazards within three rooms of a house – the bedroom, living room and kitchen.

Summer holidays are a time for our young people to relax and enjoy themselves, but it is also an ideal time to make them aware of the dangers of fire. I would encourage young buddies to log on to www.infoscotland.com/blazeaware and check it out.

Paisley received its Fair Trade status nearly three years ago and last week the First Minister announced that a detailed set of criteria has been drawn up to help Scotland become a Fair Trade Nation. This is more good news in the fight for fair prices for farmers and workers in Third World nations.