South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire Tenant Development Rent Setting Discussions

Recently, the TIS project supported tenant representatives from the Budget Scrutiny Group (made up of Council staff and tenant representatives) to organise a consultation process for agreeing the rent level for 2011/ 2012. The aims of the consultation were to make sure there were more tenants involved than in previous years, and to make sure that tenants had appropriate information about the Councils income and expenditure to allow them to have an informed view. South Lanarkshire Tenant Development Project Rent Setting Discussions Recently, the TIS project supported tenant representatives from the Budget Scrutiny Group (made up of Council staff and tenant representatives) to organise a consultation process for agreeing the rent level for 2011/ 2012. The aims of the consultation were to make sure there were more tenants involved than in previous years, and to make sure that tenants had appropriate information about the Councils income and expenditure to allow them to have an informed view.

Tenant reps agreed on a three stage consultation, an opening seminar, local engagement events, and a closing question time session. Tenant reps were closely involved in setting the programme for each event and also shared responsibility for increasing the number of tenants involved.

The initial seminar was attended by around 60 tenants, an increase on previous years and gave tenants a wide range of information about some of the key areas of expenditure for the Council’s housing department, and how these would change in the year ahead. They had the opportunity to give their views on how to further progress rent harmonisation, and identify areas where they felt the Council could make savings.

The next stage, local consultations, were held in each of the 8 separate areas of South Lanarkshire, and TIS staff worked with Council staff to present further information to tenants on the level of rent increase the Council were looking for, and more importantly what the tenants would get in the way of improved services and investment for this increase.

Finally a Question time session was hosted by the Project giving tenant representatives the opportunity to put questions to senior council staff on a variety of issues. The results from this consultation process were that tenant representatives had a wide range of information to allow them to give an informed view to the Council on what they felt about a proposed rent increase. Tenant reps agreed on a three stage consultation, an opening seminar, local engagement events, and a closing question time session. Tenant reps were closely involved in setting the programme for each event and also shared responsibility for increasing the number of tenants involved. The initial seminar was attended by around 60 tenants, an increase on previous years and gave tenants a wide range of information about some of the key areas of expenditure for the Council’s housing department, and how these would change in the year ahead. They had the opportunity to give their views on how to further progress rent harmonisation, and identify areas where they felt the Council could make savings. The next stage, local consultations, were held in each of the 8 separate areas of South Lanarkshire, and TIS staff worked with Council staff to present further information to tenants on the level of rent increase the Council were looking for, and more importantly what the tenants would get in the way of improved services and investment for this increase.

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