A group of 24 former student maisonettes are set to transferred to residents in the Kirkstall and Burley areas.
The council has taken ownership of the three-bedroomed homes in Argie Avenue, Burley, from student lettings company Unipol and wants to re-let them under a local lettings policy for existing council tenants and applicants with a connection to the Kirkstall Ward.
A report published by the council says the move will help ‘create sustainable communities’ and ‘support community cohesion’ in an area saturated by student accommodation.
The council intends to offer accommodation to households with dependent children who have a local connection to the Kirkstall ward and have an excellent tenant record are either:
- living in flats
- living in overcrowded conditions,
- or in employment
It adds:
“The council wishes to overcome the perception that the current lettings policy is unfair to tenants who have been on the housing register for a long time who feel they have little hope of being rehoused ahead of other customers in housing need.”
The council report can be read in full here.
What do you think? Is the current lettings policy unfair? Will this move resolve the problem? Let us know in the comments section below…