Critics claim the move amounts to privatisation of council homes

The city council has proposed that a "community mutual" housing association takes over the running of 13,893 homes.

It says it will lead to nearly �400m investment in the service in 10 years.

But opponents, who held a public meeting in Penlan on Tuesday, claimed the service would be "privatised" and tenants would suffer.

Swansea is the latest local authority in Wales to consider plans to transfer its housing stock.

The Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) has suggested all councils should go down the route but only one - Bridgend - has so far done so.

The IWA says that maintaining Wales' 160,000 council homes cannot be done without private investment.

Paul Lynch of Swansea Defend Council Housing, which organised the meeting at the Penlan social club, said: "No matter what they say this is the privatisation of council housing."

He claimed the authority's offer document sent to every household was one-sided and failed to address issues of concern.

"There will be a lose of accountability and although there is a guarantee on rents for the first five years there is nothing to say what increases we could see after 10 or 15 years.

"We want to see direct investment."

But the council said transferring the stock to a community housing mutual called Tawe Housing would allow around �371m investment in repairs and improvements in the first 10 years.

It said the council could only invest �176m over the same period - a �195m shortfall.

A spokeswoman said: "The transfer is not privatisation - there would be no dividends paid and all the money would be spent on homes and services."