Call for more input with PKC on issues
Panel wants new look at anti-social behaviour
A drive to boost tenant partcipation in key decision making is making good progress, according to council chiefs.
Since 2014 the council has had a tenant participation strategy in place, which aims to get council housing tenants involved in decisions being made give them a voice in improving the provision of social housing.
Six volunteer tenants from Perth and Kinross make up a group called the Sure team. They have been researching various aspects of tenant participation, particularly around anti-social behaviour policies. Cllr Peter Barrett
At the housing and community safety meeting on Wednesday the Sure team presented a number of suggested improvements, including revising anti-social behaviour procedures and introducing a new way to deal with how these complaints are handled, including improving online reporting of incidents.
They also recommended increasing the locations of the council’s safer communities teams and introducing a dog fouling initiative in their estates.
The committee noted these recommendations and agreed to hear an updated tenant participation plan later in the year.
Convener Peter Barrett said: “It is the responsibility of landlords to take into account the views of tenants and landlord services.
“Our tenant participation strategy reflects the council’s commitment to developing tenant participation, compliant with legislation.
“This ensures tenants are supported and their contributions are valued.”
Homeless people can also take part in the process through a weekly evening drop-in session with the Homeless Voice Association and a boxing project, which gives people the opportunity to train at Perth’s amateur boxing club.
The committee also heard about the success of a community flat in St Catherine’s Square which has provided a number of activities for residents and helped tenants to become more digitally included.
A new plan is to be presented to the committee later this year.