Tonight, at the City Council Housing Committee, I proposed that the Council consult on a lower rents increase (3.5%) in addition to the 4.5%, 4.75% and 5% increase levels the SNP administration has suggested be consulted upon. Tenants in the city deserve more than a superficial consultation on a "high, higher or higher still" increase.
My proposal was as follows :
"AMENDMENT BY COUNCILLOR FRASER MACPHERSON
HOUSING, DUNDEE CONTRACT SERVICES AND ENVIRONMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE – 25th OCTOBER 2010
REVIEW OF RENT AND OTHER CHARGES 2011/2012 (REPORT 613- 2010)
I move, as an amendment, that the following additional option be put to the Dundee Federation of Tenants' Associations and City Council tenants for consultation.
"As an additional alternative to the proposed options of 4.5%, 4.75% and 5%, a rent rise proposal of 3.5% should also be considered, which is £2.02 per week on average, subject to a maximum increase of £3.00 (subject to consultation).
Charges for the following should remain as per the report’s recommendations :
· concierge service
· garage lock ups
· underground parking bays
· garage sites
· sheltered housing service
· travelling people's site rents
· heating charges
These increases would also be applied from 4th April, 2011."
A 1% reduction in rents would require a saving of £400,000.
If it is finally decided that the rent rise should be 3.5%, I will ask the committee to agree at the same time as the rent rise is decided that this shortfall should be met by reducing expenditure on the enhanced relet standard by £554,062 as this will require £154,000 increase in the void loss budget."
My proposal would have resulted in tenants being given an additional - and lower - increase choice. It would not have determined the level of increase, but expanded tenant choice. However, the SNP administration was not for listening. I am grateful for support from Labour, the Conservatives and the Depute Lord Provost, but lost the vote 15-12. So the rent increase choices will be restricted to SNP unreasonably high levels. No choice there, then.
At the council meetings tonight, I also :
* Asked a question about the timing of community council elections
* Asked about progress on a Common Housing Register to improve housing allocations across Dundee
* Queried air quality management area changes
* Questioned the proposed rent levels for new-build council housing
* Asked about the capital programme spend thus far in 2010/11
* Queried road safety statistics presented to City Development Committee