For every 50 people waiting on a council house in Dundee, just one will be built in the next four years.
That’s the reality facing the city’s residents after the local authority revealed how it will construct just 143 rentable homes between now and 2020.
There are more than 7,000 people waiting for a council home in Dundee, a figure that has remained almost static in the last couple of years.
Despite that, Dundee’s housing convener, Councillor John Alexander, believes his administration is doing all the right things to maximise opportunities for local folk to secure affordable housing.
Mr Alexander said that the figures didn’t account for the many more homes being built in partnership with associations, insisting that a £64 million investment in new housing developments — previously revealed by the Tele — would produce hundreds of affordable houses.
He said: “Every year we work with our housing association partners to develop plans for social housing. By working hand in hand, we can reduce overheads and maximise the number of properties. Value for money is key.
“One example of this partnership working is with Hillcrest at Alexander Street.
“We can avoid duplication and ensure economies of scale which we couldn’t achieve if we worked separately.”
He added that the Right to Buy scheme had taken thousands of homes away from the council’s ownership.
Mr Alexander’s comments come just a day after admitting in the Tele his shock over the state of a flat given to one council tenant, Amy Collins.
But he says the current housing stock here is better than other parts of Scotland.
“We have a higher quality of property for rent than many other local authorities and ensure that all properties let meet this standard,” he said. “During the course of a tenancy, it must be reported to the relevant department. We cannot address an issue if we don’t know about it.
“During the viewing stage, if a property is rejected then we obtain information as to the reasons at that stage.
“We rarely receive feedback about the standard of the property. It’s important that tenants take responsibility for their accommodation and work with us should issues arise.”
Mr Alexander also insists that he is working to simplify the process by which someone is given a home through the council.
He said: “Our ultimate aim is to have one procedure and lettings policy for every housing application. The difference between housing association properties and council houses is irrelevant to those on the ground and the different ways in which people qualify can be confusing.
“We want tenants to have a seamless customer journey without having to submit individual applications. At the moment, we have three housing associations on board and are looking to expand this further.”