Residents invited to join housing conversation

We are asking residents to join our housing conversation, a public consultation which will aid the development of our new housing strategy for 2024, updating and replacing the strategy agreed in 2019.

Housing vision

The proposed new strategy sets out the vision that, by 2035, County Durham will be a place that has good quality homes that meet the needs of existing and future residents, and that they can afford.

It also aims to deliver quality housing that supports economic growth and contributes to improved health, and which creates and maintains sustainable, mixed, and balanced communities where people live long and independent lives.

Working with residents

Cllr James Rowlandson, our Cabinet member for resources, investment and assets, said: "The housing strategy is being developed to ensure we are well positioned as a council to deliver good quality and affordable housing that enables communities to stay connected, and residents to live long and independent lives. As such, it is important to us that we get the views of residents as we develop this strategy.

"As well as working with residents, the proposals will be delivered in partnership through the county's housing forum, the private sector, and other relevant agencies. The current housing strategy will remain in place until the new one is ready, which we expect to be in March next year."

Public consultation

As part of its aim to create a conversation around housing, we have launched an eight-week public consultation which will run until Friday 18 August.

We have outlined a number of ways in which residents can take part, and we are particularly keen to get the opinions of young people.

People can get involved in the housing conversation by:

• Filling in an online survey.
• Attending an online question and answer event and fill in a survey at the end. These will be held on 12 July at 6pm, and 18 July at 11am.
• Visiting a Customer Access Point or one of our libraries to request a paper copy of the survey.
• Contacting us at thehousingconversation@durham.gov.uk with comments and questions.

Partners, voluntary organisations, and industry professionals can also join the conversation by filling in the online survey or by contacting thehousingconversation@durham.gov.uk.

Partnership forums

We will also be visiting the county's Area Action Partnerships and other partnership forums throughout July and will be attending a rural housing event in Mickleton on 11 July.

Feedback will be used to develop the draft County Durham Housing Strategy, which will be shared again with the public for comments in the autumn, with a view to a final version being agreed by March 2024.