Local authorities in the west of the island are working with the government in a bid to improve the way public sector housing is run.
The Western Housing Group formed in 2013 and comprises Peel Town Commissioners and the parish and district commissioners in Patrick, German, Marown and Michael.
The group has developed a business plan to set up a Western Housing Authority, which proposes a regional approach to the management and operation of all public sector housing in the west.
It is specifically working towards combining waiting lists for commissioners and government houses in the west and establishing how the houses would be allocated to people on the shared waiting list.
Currently the Department of Infrastructure owns and manages all the public housing outside Peel in the west.
The group also wants local authorities and government to work together over housing repairs and maintenance, and to develop a scheme to manage and maintain public sector housing in the west.
Chairman of the Western Housing Group, and Patrick commissioners, David Talbot said: ‘The group was initiated as a means of ensuring a localised approach to housing service delivery and I am delighted the Department of Infrastructure is working with us to try to make this a reality.’
There are almost 500 public sector, or commissioners, houses in Peel and its surrounding parishes, plus almost 100 sheltered housing units.
Two thirds of the 500 homes are Peel Town Commissioners’ houses, the remainder being government houses in Foxdale, Peel, St John’s, Crosby and Glen Maye.
Significant investment is also taking place in the new Westlands sheltered housing scheme.
The sheltered housing in Peel is owned by the Peel and Western District Housing Committee.
Infrastructure member Chris Thomas MHK said: ‘This initiative is a good example of how the scope and structure of local government should be developing.’
All existing tenants and those already on waiting lists will be contacted before any changes are implemented.