Dumfries and Galloway to ballot tenants

Dumfries and Galloway council is to be the next Scottish local
authority to ballot tenants on the transfer of its housing stock to
an independent housing agency.

Tenants of 12,800 homes will decide whether they want Dumfries
and Galloway Housing Partnership (DGHP) as their new landlord.

DGHP has promised to invest £195 million in the homes over
a decade and cap rent rises to inflation plus 1 per cent for five
years. The treasury has also promised to write off the
council’s housing debt of £67 million, but only if the
transfer goes ahead.

Philip Jones, chief executive of Dumfries & Galloway
council, said the local authority would need to increase rents by
38 per cent to match DGHP’s spending plans.

While the result of voting on a similar transfer in Glasgow is
expected early in April, tenants in Borders council were the first
to support such a move last year. A range of other Scottish local
authorities are also considering such a move with Argyll and Bute,
Western Isles and Shetlands expected to follow soon.