Community leaders are set to approve proposals that they say will improve the wellbeing of council tenants and support the development of family life.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils’ cabinets meet this week to discuss the adoption of a new tenancy policy aimed at backing thriving communities across the districts.

The policy aims to set out a clear explanation of the range of tenancies that the councils offer and how and they are managed. 

It will reinforce the councils’ recognition of and the importance of all residents having a safe and sustainable place to call home, alongside the need for high-quality social and affordable housing.

Babergh’s cabinet member for housing, Jan Osborne said: “The adoption of this policy will ensure that we are in line with the requirements of the Housing Regulator and the councils’ aim to be a good landlord and support our communities.

“The implementation of secure tenancies is current best practice within the housing sector. It is important that social and affordable homes are managed in a way that is fair and balanced for all residents and this policy supports that.”

Mid Suffolk’s cabinet member for housing Lavinia Hadingham said: “Housing is one of the key services we provide for our residents and this policy ensures that our tenants have a clear understanding of how our tenancies work and what we are able to offer.

“As a council we want to be able to provide a home for our tenant, not just a place to live. Knowing that you can be confident in setting up a home for your family and future is important for the wellbeing of everyone.”

The tenancy policy aims to: explain how tenancies will be managed; provide tenants with security of tenure; recognise tenants’ needs, aspirations and changing lives and provide a service which meets these; make best use of our limited supply of homes - by enabling and encouraging tenants to move to more suitable accommodation if their home no longer meets their needs; support tenants to sustain their tenancies; tackle breaches of the tenancy proportionately; and deter and tackle tenancy fraud.