Borders tenants vote for new landlord

Council house tenants of Borders council have voted by a large
majority in favour of transferring their homes to the management of
the newly created Scottish Borders Housing Association.

The proposal attracted none of the controversy raging around the
same development in Glasgow. Almost 83 per cent of Borders council
house tenants voted in favour of transferring their 7,000 homes to
SBHA.

According to the Scottish executive the move will now be
approved and will attract substantial investment in the properties,
with the Treasury paying off the council’s £65 million
housing debt. Margaret Curran, deputy minister for social justice,
said: “These proposals will provide good quality affordable
housing, help tackle poverty and disadvantage, rebuild and
strengthen communities and provide substantial new job and training
opportunities in the Borders as the housing investment programme
kicks in.”

Four other local authorities in Scotland are currently
considering the transfer of their housing stock – Glasgow
council, Dumfries and Galloway, Shetland Islands and Argyll and
Bute.