Tenant involvement
Updated 7 November 2008
Find out how we support housing associations to put tenants at the heart of decision making, and about the work of the Tenant Involvement Commission.
What’s new
Tenant Management Organisations
1 October 2008
Find out how housing association tenants have the opportunity for greater involvement in the management of their homes.
Code of Service Delivery and Accountability
15 September 2008
Find out about the new Code of Service Delivery and Accountability, and how you can respond to the consultation on the content of the Code.
National Tenant Voice
23 July 2008
Details of the emerging National Tenant Voice, and consultation paper on the NTV.
Help us develop a new code of service delivery
6 March 2008
Give us your views on how housing associations can put tenants at the heart of what they do and deliver a high standard of service.
Code of Service Delivery and Accountability
The Federation is currently developing a new Code of Service Delivery and Accountability. The aim of the Code is to inspire housing associations to develop an ambition to excel, so they deliver their best for tenants, residents and the wider community.
Find out more
The draft Code has been developed following consultations with tenants around the country, and responses to an online questionnaire. The Federation is now seeking further feedback from its members and their tenants on the content of the Code. The final version of the Code will be published at a conference in London on 27 February 2009. More details will be posted nearer the time.
Please send consultation responses to neighbourhoods@housing.org.uk or by post to Helen Jeffery, National Housing Federation, Lion Court, 25 Proctor Street, London, WC1V 6NY by Monday 8 December. This is also the address for the submission of case studies.
National Tenant Voice
Martin Cave, in his review of social housing regulation 'Every Tenant Matters', recommended that "A national tenant voice should be established to give tenants both a voice and expertise at national level".
Find out more
In February 2008, CLG established a project group to help develop the National Tenant Voice proposal. The group is independently chaired by Steve Hilditch, and advises Ministers on the detailed remit, location and governance arrangements for the National Tenant Voice. The National Housing Federation is a member of the project group.
Consultation
The project group has produced a consultation paper setting out its initial ideas and proposals. It sought the views on these proposals from as many tenants and tenant organisations as possible, as well as organisations with an interest in tenant empowerment.
The consultation closed on 12 September. The project group will now produce firm proposals to submit to CLG.
Tenant Management Organisations
From October 2008, housing association tenants will have the opportunity for greater involvement in the management of their homes.
For the first time, a new voluntary route to tenant management will become available. The Housing Corporation's Tenant Empowerment Programme has also opened up its funding to housing association tenants.
The voluntary route will include the following features
- New local management agreements will allow tenants to take control of a limited range of services, operations or budgets (below the EU procurement level), giving them an 'easy entry' into tenant management.
- A process for initiating full tenant management will be available without the need for tenants to service a notice on their landlord. For budgets over the EU procurement limit (currently about £139,000), this might be subject to EU procurement rules. CLG and the Housing Corporation are exploring arrangements that might offer exemption from procurement and guidance will be available on these later in the year. Meanwhile, groups considering this option should seek their own advice.
Find out more
Tenant Involvement Commission
We set up the independent Tenant Involvement Commission in April 2006 to look at how housing associations can deliver the best results for their tenants.
The Commission challenged associations to:
- be more responsive to the aspirations of their tenants and other customers
- be more accountable for their performance in terms of what matters to tenants, other customers and local communities
- do more to open up opportunities for communities to have a greater say over the local service provision and the shape of their neighbourhood.
Over a six month period, the Commission asked for the views of landlords and tenants. The Commissioners also met with several expert witnesses, and held a successful tenants forum in Leeds.
The Commission produced its final report, called What Tenants Want, in September 2006. The message from their report was clear: tenants want housing associations to get the basics right and be accountable for the services that they provide.
The Federation is now working to take forward the challenges of the Tenant Involvement Commission.
The Commission was sponsored by:
- Bradford Community Housing Trust
- East Thames
- Northern Counties.
Find out more
- Download the full report of the Tenant Involvement Commission, What Tenants Want (PDF, 1.5 MB, opens new window)
- Download the executive summary of What Tenants Want (PDF, 124 KB, opens new window)
- Download the interim report of written submissions (PDF, 640 KB, opens new window)
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