| AdminHistory | As part of an effort to increase tenure diversification in the New Town, in 1989 the Corporation considered creating a housing agency to manage its properties - in this scheme the entire Corporation housing department was to be made redundant and then re-hired as part of an industrial providential company. The scheme was mothballed, only to be revisited in 1994. In a letter to the Corporation dated 12 February 1992, The Secretary of State for Scotland outlined the government policy for Scottish New Town Housing Stock. A key objective was maximum diversification of tenure. In response to this Livingston Development Corporation produced a Housing Disposal Strategy Report (1995) that described proposals for establishing/expanding rental sector in the New Town.
These proposal to expand the rental sector included:
a) That the corporation should encourage resident involvement in housing associations and co-ops.
b) That management agencies should be established for all stock for the 1994/1995 financial year through until Wind Up (using LDC housing staff)
c) Casual vacancies should be sold on to housing associations/co-ops as they arise.
d) Information relating to these proposals should be passed on to tenants.
As a result in 1994 the housing department went under considerable changes in its method of managing housing stock. Livingston was divided into 3 areas with housing associations assuming the management of housing stock. Associations tendered for the areas they wished to manage, but a staff led initiative - Almond Housing Association, negotiated the management agreement - as agreed by Scottish Office and Scottish homes. The three housing associations involved in the scheme were Link, Castle Rock, Edinvar. Part of the aims of the scheme was to introduce tenants to housing associations so that they could make an informed choice when it came to voting for their new landlord in the housing ballot. The Housing Agencies operated out of Corporation owned property with support provided by Corporation housing staff. |