Gwynedd Council tenants received a formal Offer Document, detailing the Council proposals to transfer its housing stock to Gwynedd Community Homes.
Each secure and introductory tenant received a copy of the document, which invites them to express their views on its content. It sets out full details of how their rights would be protected. It also gives assurance that rents would not rise any more than they would if their homes stayed with the Council.
For several weeks the Council opened show homes and operated a mobile show home exhibition at various locations across Gwynedd, so that tenants could see for themselves what is proposed.
Following the consultation process, which ends mid-February, a ballot will be held to see if there is support for the transfer go ahead.
The Welsh Assembly Government requires all councils in Wales to bring their homes up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. Only a very small number of Gwynedd Council's housing stock currently reach this standard.
A recent independent survey found that the Council needs to spend £136 million on its homes in the next five years. Without the transfer to Gwynedd Community Homes, it estimates that only £55 million will be available to it to make improvements – a deficit of £81 million.
The Council does not have the resources to make the necessary improvements and believes that transfer to a new not-for-profit housing organisation would be the best way forward.
