Brighton and Hove tenants turn out for City Assembly

Up to 200 council tenants are expected to attend the City Assembly at Hove Town Hall today (Saturday 17 November).

Brighton and Hove City Council holds the event twice a year for tenant representatives from all associations and all residents across the city.

The council said that the aim was to bring people together in open debate on topics that matter to tenants and leaseholders city-wide.

The result of the debates can bring about changes as councillors and officials listen in and take part.

The agenda for the day is set by the Tenant Compact Monitoring Group and the event is webcast live. Those who can’t attend are encouraged to take part through Twitter and Facebook.

The event today will include a presentation about imminent housing and council tax benefit changes with a chance to ask questions.

And staff will be on hand to help people learn how to use the internet to budget and save money on energy tariffs and how to use Skype.

The council has about 13,000 tenants and supports 65 tenant and resident associations.

In the past year the council raised and spent about £50 million on council housing with new flats homes being built on the site of Ainsworth House in Wellington Road, Brighton.

Solar panels were fitted to 30 properties in Woodingdean, Hollingdean and on the Bristol Estate.

And the council said that 90 per cent of council houses and flats now met the decent homes standard with all homes likely to have been upgraded by 2014.

The City Assembly starts at 9.30am and ends at 4pm at Hove Town Hall.