A HUGE consultation exercise which could see Southampton's 18,000 council homes eventually managed by a housing association will be launched by city bosses.

Every one of the city's council house tenants will be canvassed about proposals which could radically alter the way Southampton's public housing stock is managed in the future.

Other options which will be looked at during the consultation will be establishing a management organisation to run city housing or the possibility of bringing in outside funding from the private sector to help upgrade city homes.

The initiative was introduced by the government, which has asked the council to look into the best way of running homes for residents in the future. City chiefs will be appointing an independent tenants' adviser to help consider the proposals.

An all-party group of councillors chaired by city housing chief Councillor Paul Russell, and including representatives from the city's trade unions and tenants will take part in the consultation process.

Cllr Russell said: "This consultation will help us find out what tenants think our priorities for investment should be, and how they would like to see them managed in the future.

"Although information about how the housing service may develop is being put together, no one is being asked to make any choices and no decision will be made without full consultation with all tenants. This is a very important time for all council tenants in Southampton and I encourage everyone to get involved to help shape the future of housing."

Mark Humphries, chairman of the Southampton Tenants' and Residents' Federation, said: "No decision will be taken until every tenant has the opportunity to have their say.

"The decisions the council makes in response to tenants' views will shape the future of our homes.

"It is a chance for all tenants to make sure they get the sort of homes that they need and deserve.

"This is not something the Federation would have wished to have done at this time, given that the subject was dealt with two years ago, but it is the government that is requiring the questions to be asked again."