Time to deliver

April 12th, 2010

I welcome the news that a further £38 million is to be invested in Inverclyde homes this year.

But it is time to remind ourselves that this investment hasn’t just fallen into our laps by accident.

With this money now available to transform social housing in the area, the credit for this must go to the people of Inverclyde for having the confidence to take matters into their own hands and secure this pot of gold.

It was only three and a half years ago but it is easy to forget the debate that raged over that ballot to transfer housing stock to River Clyde Homes.

We in the ‘Vote Yes’ campaign won the argument convincingly with 72 per cent of the vote opting for stock transfer on a turnout of 65 per cent– the envy of any political party

Even then, there was a hiccup when the SNP Government took power in Edinburgh, made it clear they were less keen on the idea and seemed reluctant to make good on this decision.

I put the First Minister on the spot over this issue at the first opportunity and it took until July 2007 before the then communities minister Stewart Maxwell finally confirmed the £140 million investment, albeit through gritted teeth.

But winning those battles was not the end, only the beginning.

While we now have the means, it now falls on River Clyde Homes to deliver on those pledges and work to the interests of our wider regeneration.

Working with tenants, home owners and Inverclyde Council, they have to make community ownership a reality and transform people’s lives.

This means keeping rents low, meeting the needs of the elderly and disabled so they can remain in their own homes, improving housing and repair services, introducing a fair allocation policy and creating safer neighbourhoods.

It is on the successful delivery of these important issues that the River Clyde Homes we created will be judged.