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Council says it needs more authority over public sector housing

Fri, 13 Jul 2012

Douglas Council has said it finds it "regrettable" that the government didn’t consult it during the public sector housing review period.

Council Leader David Christian has said while the council is broadly in favour of the Department of Social Care’s general principles it believes local authorities need more powers.

Despite being the Island’s largest authority with over 2,000 properties and a housing stock valued in the region of £227 million, Douglas Council says is only has limited control over it.

Mr Christian says this compromises how the council can best serve tenants and also places a reliance on deficiency funding support from the department which in turn impacts on value for money for ratepayers.

He also believes that if the council were to resume full control of its housing stock - including setting rent levels and determining expenditure priorities - reliance on deficiency funding from the department and the rate funded housing subsidy could be eliminated within four years.

 

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