Sixty councils will receive financial assistance from Whitehall aimed at improving their employment and housing advice to local residents. Communities minister, Iain Wright, announced on 20 November that he intends to expand the number of ‘trailblazer' housing advice programmes from an original list of 12 pilot schemes to 60. Twenty of the programmes would be full trailblazers and could receive up to £260,000, Mr Wright said, while others would receive ‘kick-start' funding. The schemes will allow councils to offer personalised housing advice services aimed at ensuring residents, particularly families, end up in the best and most suitable accommodation. The list of councils chosen to provide full services includes Bradford, Wakefield, Manchester and Islington LBC. Authorities due to receive kick-start funding include Newham LBC and Kingston-upon-Hull. ‘These schemes make sure people are fully informed of options,' explained Mr Wright.