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A message from Councillor Bob Bright, Leader of Newport City Council:
"Newport City Council, in partnership with its tenants, leaseholders and staff, is faced with a major challenge.
"The Welsh Assembly Government has introduced a new minimum national standard for all Council housing across Wales, called the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, to ensure that a minimum standard for homes is met by 2012.
"To achieve the standard set by the National Assembly we would need to spend around £233 million on your homes. However, the council has a shortfall of £147 million which obviously leaves us with a major cash shortfall.
"The City Council has always worked hard to provide the best homes and services possible for its tenants and is proud of what has already been achieved. However, the stark fact is that we cannot reach the Welsh Housing Quality Standard with the limited financial resources available. As such in March 2006 the City Council decided to move towards holding a ballot of its tenants to consider transferring all Council homes to a newly created housing association.
"Housing transfer cannot go ahead without the backing of our tenants. We are determined to ensure tenants have all the information they need to make an informed choice when the time comes to vote. We will provide written information and opportunities for tenants to talk face-to-face with staff who can answer any questions they may have.
"The council believes transfer is a major opportunity for housing in Newport, providing the resources to bring homes up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, protecting tenants’ rights and entitlements and ensuring rents remain affordable.
"I would urge all our tenants to read the information they receive from the Council, learn what the transfer proposal could mean for them, ask any questions they may have, and most importantly, when the time comes, use their vote."
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