A dedicated Angus housing committee meets for the first time this week.
Last December, councillors agreed to set up the body, with former council leader Beth Whiteside at its helm.
The one-time SNP administration figurehead said it was a “vital step in ensuring housing remains a top priority in Angus”.
“This committee will allow for greater focus and accountability… to deliver places people are proud to call home.” she said.
Its formation was accompanied by a pledge of cross-party collaboration to tenants in the council’s 7,700 homes.
The first meeting takes place on Thursday.
Here we look at some of the big issues the new body will face in the weeks, months and years ahead.
1. Housing emergency
Angus declared a housing emergency in June.
However, it was U-turned after the SNP administration rejected a motion by Independent Brechin councillor Jill Scott six weeks earlier.
Ms Scott is the new committee’s vice-convener.
She says there is no place for a party political ‘blame game’ around Angus housing.
2. Budget
Angus faces a £9.5 million budget shortfall this year.
Council tax is forecast to rise – possibly by double digits – and service cuts look unavoidable.
It will see council departments scrap for every penny of the £350m the authority will spend in 2025/26.
Financial pressures have already seen around £9m lost from the council’s strategic housing investment plan.
The budget will be set at the end of February – leaving the housing committee in a race against time to push its priorities.
3. Council tax
Recent data revealed a mountain of Angus council tax debt.
In one Arbroath postcode area alone, nearly £2m is outstanding. A single address has a debt of almost £40,000.
This month, council tax is guaranteed to rise after a freeze which kept the Band D rate at £1,316 for years.
But finance chiefs warn any significant increase may make it more difficult for people to pay, with the consequence of a drop in the amount collected.
4. Tenant relations
Council house tenant satisfaction has slumped.
Just 3% of tenants – 232 – in the council’s 7,700 homes responded to a 2024 satisfaction survey.
It revealed a worrying 14% drop in the number who think their house is good value for money.
And less than half believed the council listens to their concerns.
Angus rents remain among the lowest in Scotland. A rise of between 5.2% and 8.2% is under consideration for this year.
The most likely option is a repeat of the 6.7% hike in 2024/25. It took the average weekly Angus rent through the £80 barrier for the first time.
Moves to improve tenant relations are already under way.
Those include a plan to appoint three tenant representatives to the new committee in a non-voting capacity.
5. Voids
Empty council houses – voids – cost the council huge sums each year.
Since 2019 they have cost the council over £4m.
Twice within that five-year period the annual voids total hit almost 1,000.
Councillors say frustrations around delays in getting a council house are a frequent source of complaint.
6. Rebuilding Brechin
The largest single capital consideration facing the new committee is the legacy of Storm Babet.
There are still 60 unoccupied council houses in the River Street area which bore the brunt of the October 2023 disaster.
A decision is still to be made on whether the homes will be reinstated, or replaced elsewhere in the town.
Early cost estimates are as much as £17m – with no guarantee of government cash.
7. Council house repairs
The time it takes for council house repairs to be done is a major gripe amongst tenants.
Covid-19, material costs, and contractor shortages have all been blamed.
And Angus was hit by a major blow when a national firm pulled out of a £10m repair contract in 2022.
Housing chiefs are now considering a return to employing its own squad of trades to reduce the repair backlog.
In November, councillors heard talks have been held with other authorities who successfully operate a direct labour organisation for housing repairs.
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