Council evicts 43 folk from homes

New figures show that Dundee City Council has shown 43 tenants the door this year.

That’s a slight reduction on 2016 when t here were 46 evictions.

The majority of evictions was due to tenants falling into rent arrears, at an average level of £1,555.

The DD2 postcode area, which covers Lochee, had the highest number of evictions — 16.

Stella Carrington, of Charleston Tenants and Residents Association, said the figures proved that Dundee’s current housing system isn’t working.

She said: “These figures are a surprise, even though they’ve gone down. As far as I was led to believe, eviction was meant to be the last resort.

“Rent arrears is the easiest way that they can get people out.

“You could have an antisocial tenant there for 20 years and they’ll do nothing about it.

“That’s j ust the way the system is and it’s a disgrace.”

The DD3 postcode, which covers Stobswell and areas north of the city centre, had 14 evictions.

There were a further 11 in the DD4 postcode in the east of Dundee with fewer than five in the Broughty Ferry (DD5) area and none in the city centre.

City council neighbourhood services convener Councillor Kevin Cordell said: “Evicting a tenant is not a decision that is taking lightly as Dundee City Council works hard to help its tenants sustain their tenancies.

“If a tenant is experiencing financial difficulties, then the council has various teams that can try to assist them with that, whether it is helping them to maximise the financial assistance they could be entitled to or short-term discretionary payments of housing benefit.

“However, if a tenant does not engage with the council then that process becomes harder.

“With any antisocial behaviour, we have mediation services that can assist as it is in everyone’s i nterest to help maintain tenancies and ensure folk have good neighbours and safe neighbourhoods.

“If our tenants are struggling in any way, then it is vital that the appropriate help can be deployed as early as possible in the process.” Our

DOZENS of people have been evicted from their council houses in 2017.

Stella Carrington