COUNCILLORS in Basildon will debate a new strategy for dealing with tenant engagement when they meet next week.

A statement from Basildon Council says tenants and leaseholders in the borough are set to get their voices heard more effectively under the authority's planned new Tenant and Leaseholder Engagement Strategy.

The strategy is set to be endorsed at the Housing and Estate Renewal Committee on Tuesday, 23 November. It will support the delivery of the council's commitment to engage with tenants, leaseholders and residents to make the housing service better.

Committee chairman Cllr Andrew Schrader said: "This strategy enables our tenants and leaseholders to get involved and for us to shape the service to their needs. It also makes our housing service accountable to its tenants and leaseholders which puts them in a very strong position to help us drive up our own standards as landlords."

The Social Housing White Paper was published in November last year and it set out a charter for social housing residents so that every social housing tenant should know what to expect from their landlord.

It sets out seven key commitments:

To know how your landlord is performing

To be treated with respect

To have a good quality home and neighbourhood to live in