27.05.20
Moving Forward Together: Bristol council housing set for transformation
Bristol Council has announced that a new project, with the potential to transform the lives of people living in council homes, will be discussed by the Cabinet next month.
The programme, Moving Forward Together (MFT), will look to improve the lives of tenants in Bristol and prioritise the improved delivery of the housing service.
New best practice will be for the council’s housing and landlord team to work closely with tenants to identify the main priorities for residents and deliver a more equal, inclusive and representative service.
Last year, the housing team collected over 3,300 responses from residents across Bristol from a survey to help discover what matters most to council tenants.
The six clear points of importance, which will be used to shape the services of the future, include having a more visible housing team with better connections and conversations, tackling antisocial behaviour and crime and improving the safety and appearance of estates.
Councillor Paul Smith, Cabinet Member for housing, said:
“This project represents a great opportunity for us to put our tenants at the heart of what we do. The approach to the programme will be to co-design all aspects of the service collaboratively with tenants, communities, staff and councillors.
“We want to make sure our tenants’ voices are heard at every stage of the process, so we can make sure we design a service which meets all of their needs.
“While the impact of coronavirus has meant we have had to make some changes to the proposed programme, we are keen to push ahead with this important piece of work. We are able to do that thanks to the new technology we are using to engage with both staff and tenants. We will be taking a lot of what we have learned during the pandemic forward with us to help inform how we can do things differently in the future.”
The changes not only aim to improve the lives of residents, but also make significant efficiency savings, which will be re-invested into areas of importance such as building new council houses, building safety and energy efficiency.
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