A new document setting out the vision for meeting housing needs across Bristol for the next five years has been launched.

Titled, 'My Home is my Springboard for Life', the strategy sets out the three main themes as well as key actions.

The strategy recognises the difficulty of the current economic climate but sets out the council’s ambitions to improve the housing situation in Bristol.

Councillor Anthony Negus, Cabinet Member for Strategic Housing and Regeneration, said: "It is about meeting the demand for affordable homes; delivering the right type of accommodation in the right areas of the city; ensuring property meets decent standards and has a low carbon impact upon the environment.


"A lot of work including consultation with the community has already gone into producing this strategy.

"Now the challenge is to work with our partner agencies to deliver the strategy and link it to the city's 14 Neighbourhood Partnerships to ensure that what we do contributes to a sustainable environment and successful communities."

Among the key actions are:

• Delivering 2,000 new affordable homes despite the current economic challenges over five years
• Bringing at least 2,000 empty private properties back into use over five years
• Achieving a better balance within communities and in the housing market, ensuring delivery of the types of property in shortage
• Agreeing and implement a Bristol Housing Quality and Management Standard for all property in the city
• Carrying out a review of housing-related advice, intervention and homelessness prevention in the city with a view to creating better joined-up services with a single standard
• Achieving the target of delivering 600 flats of Very Sheltered Housing by 2011

(CD/KMcA)