Bristol residents asked for views on 30-year plan for council homes

People in Bristol are being asked for their views to help shape the 30-year plan for providing and maintaining council homes in the city.

Bristol City Council owns and manages over 28,500 homes, with the rents and service charges collected used to provide tenant services, repair and improve the homes, and build new properties to meet housing needs.

Residents of Bristol are being asked to choose housing priorities for the city and its investment in council homes by suggesting a budget through the ‘Bristol’s big housing conversation’ survey.

The Council will also work with renters in the private sector to make the case for what is needed locally to protect renters and address the need for national powers to be devolved to bring in rent controls and a ‘Living Rent’.

Cllr Renhard, cabinet member for housing delivery and homes, said: ‘We know we have a housing crisis in Bristol, and we need to find solutions, ensuring more people have a roof over their head that they can be proud of.

‘We’re asking people from across the city to let us know what their priority would be for spending and raising the money that we need. How do we get the right balance between investing in the standard of our existing homes, investing to reduce carbon emissions, and investing to build new homes? We need your view to help shape the plan for investing in council homes across our city.’

The survey will be open until Friday 3 December and is available here.

In related news, new funding from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will support councils in engaging with difficult to reach landlords to tackle poor energy performance in rental properties.

Since April last year privately rented homes must meet a minimum energy performance rating of EPC band E, making it illegal to rent out homes below that unless landlords have a limited exemption.

The rule change is expected to see energy efficiency upgrades such as loft insulation, double glazing and cavity wall insulation installed in around 290,000 properties.

Photo by Martyna Bober