THIS week's meeting in Ferryhill Station also discussed the role of private landlords and how they could help to improve the situation.
One manager of about 100 properties in the area, Simon Jewitt, called for more access for landlords into the backgrounds of prospective tenants.
He said: "We do not want disruptive tenants in our properties, but we find it difficult to get any information on them.
"We are working with Three Rivers, and we are trying to form a Landlords' Association, to make sure we have the best tenants we can in our properties."
The meeting heard complaints from residents about some unscrupulous private landlords who had placed problem families in Ferryhill Station from outside the area.
Councillor Brian Avery said: "Something does have to be done about these landlords. All they care about at the end of the day is getting the money from the DSS, and they are impossible to get in touch with if people do want to make a complaint about their tenants."
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