The Private Housing Renewal Policy covers how the Private Housing and Adaptations Service delivers assistance to private owners and private tenants to help repair, maintain or adapt their homes.

Funding has been reducing year on year and we are faced with trying to provide a service that is fair yet targets those who are the most vulnerable in our society and who are unable to look after their property themselves – older or disabled people, families with young children and those on low incomes.

We have a duty to consult on major changes to the renewal policy and this has not been undertaken since 2007. We need to seek the opinions of those most affected by the policy i.e. owners who cannot afford to maintain their own properties or those requiring adaptation to enable them to live independently in their own homes.

This policy has already been sent to staff and partner organisations for comment but the opinion of service users, carers and support organisations is important to us to ensure that we have a policy that meets the needs of private owners in Bristol.

We will collate all the comments together and consider whether or not revision to the policy should be made before a final draft is sent to Cabinet for approval in September. Once adopted the final policy will be published on the Council’s website.

All those who participated in the consultation will be contacted with a summary list of comments made and our actions in relation to those comments and an offer of meeting face-to-face to discuss the new policy will be made.