PRESS RELEASE

Ballot begins for 700 Scottish Homes tenants in Glasgow	31st October 2001
Voting has just begun (Monday October 29) for 700 Scottish Homes tenants in the Hutchesontown area of Glasgow, who have the chance to transfer ownership of their homes to New Gorbals Housing Association, paving the way for an initial grant funding package of £10.5 million. An opinion survey of Hutchesontown tenants – carried out earlier this year by an independent research company – indicated their support for the move. The month-long secret postal ballot will enable tenants to say whether they want New Gorbals Housing Association to take over the properties in Hutchesontown. New Gorbals Housing Association’s proposals are being endorsed by Scottish Homes, who carried out a detailed evaluation of the proposal. If the transfer goes ahead it will pave the way for much greater investment in the houses. New Gorbals will spend some £8 million upgrading tenants’ homes during the first five years. They guarantee that every tenant will have a new kitchen, bathroom and central heating. New Gorbals will also demolish two unimproved multi-storey blocks and provide new, replacement homes for tenants in the Queen Elizabeth Square. Tenants can also look forward to more certainty about future rent levels and a greater say in the way their houses are managed. Scottish Homes Community Ownership Initiatives Co-ordinator, Celia Kennedy said: “With the voting about to start, this is a good opportunity for tenants to consider their future. Independent advice has been made available to them and we hope it will have helped them make an informed decision. I’d urge everyone to use their vote.” And New Gorbals Housing Association Director, Fraser Stewart added: “We’re offering tenants the chance to see real improvements to their homes. It’s also a chance for them to get more involved, have a greater say in how their houses are managed and change things for the better. I hope everyone will exercise their right to vote over the next month.” Notes to editors: 1. Scottish Homes owns 950 properties in Hutchesontown but has been gradually reducing tenant numbers by not re-letting flats in the unimproved multi-storey blocks, so that the actual number of tenants eligible to vote is 700. 2. The ballot concludes at noon on November 26 and it will then be about another week before tenants find out the result. Scottish Homes is currently transferring all its remaining houses to community ownership. Over 47,000 have so far transferred, with fewer than 5,000 remaining.
Claire Hider Tel: 0131 479 5172