Housing bosses tackle yob culture

From the archive, first published Tuesday 20th Mar 2007.

A Bradford housing association is launching a new scheme to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Brunel Housing Association, which has 2,500 properties across the district, is the first housing association in Bradford to introduce a probation period for new tenants.

The starter tenancies programme, which has already been piloted in other areas of the Yorkshire Housing Group, will require new tenants to sign an initial tenancy agreement of 12 months before moving into a Brunel property.

Once the tenant has lived there for 12 months, providing there has been no breach of the agreed terms - especially in relation to anti-social behaviour - their contract will be converted into a full-time one.

Nadhia Hussain, area manager of Brunel housing, which has properties in Manningham, Holme Wood, Bierley and Ravenscliffe, said the starter tenancies was part of their on-going drive to stamp out anti-social behaviour.

"We hope the scheme will help make the quality of life even better for our residents.

"We hope this will send out a clear message to residents that anti-behaviour will not be tolerated."

The housing association hopes this new agreement will deter anti-social behaviour and make it easier to evict problem tenants where necessary.

Starter tenancies were first made possible under the Housing Act 1996 and have been successfully piloted by housing associations in North Manchester.

This is the first time they will be use in the Bradford district.

Bradford Community Housing Trust, which has 22,000 housing associations properties in the city, has also launched a scheme to tackle yobbish behaviour.

A 24-hour hotline has been set up so tenants can report any anti-social problems which they may witness.

Peter Newbould, director of legal services, said: "We are committed to protecting the rights of all our law-abiding tenants to live in safe and secure neighbourhoods."

A spokesman for BCHT said as part of their tenancy agreement every tenant signs up to be responsible for the behaviour of everyone in the household.

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