Housing Executive tenants in Bloomfield, Bangor are to be given the opportunity to change their landlord.

Following the success of a pilot scheme in Londonderry, where Housing Executive tenants voted to transfer management of their homes to a housing association the tenants of 71 bungalows in Bloomfield are to be given the opportunity to vote on a similar proposal.

The advantage for tenants is that housing associations are able to access external finance to allow improvement schemes to be funded. A formal consultation followed by a tenant vote will take place before any transfer of housing stock takes place.

During a visit to resident’s homes in Bloomfield last year, Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland saw for himself the significant improvement works required on these bungalows.

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A public meeting was held on Thursday 29 March at Christ Church Primacy in Bangor at which the Housing Executive presented the tenants with broad details of the stock transfer proposal. An official from the Department for Social Development also addressed the meeting to deal with residents' questions about the proposed stock transfer and wider funding issues.

Speaking after receiving a briefing on the public meeting, Minister McCausland said: "I made a commitment to the tenants of the Bloomfield bungalows that I would make good on my promise to find a solution that could deliver the significant improvement works their homes require. I have no new money but I have brought forward new thinking to resolve this issue.

"I understand that tenants are unhappy about the lack of progress on their dwellings so I am pleased that my officials were able to present new proposals that hold out the very real prospect of improvement work starting on their homes.

"I am aware the stock transfer proposals received a mixed reception at the public meeting, however, this is just the start of the consultation process. I would encourage tenants to stay engaged and to avail of the independent advisers that my Department and the Housing Executive have made available to them. I want to reassure tenants that no changes will happen without them being consulted and the transfer will only go ahead if the majority of tenants vote for the proposals. The future of Bloomfield bungalows remains firmly in the hands of tenants and that will not change."

(CD)