Welsh Housing Quarterly:
The Latest Housing News from Wales
Whilst WHQ is a printed journal, current and past editions are posted to its website. Some articles are freely accessed on the website, whilst others are only available to subscribers.
Also available to subscribers is a monthly ezine service, with up-to-date news on housing and regeneration in Wales.
The latest issue has Is the Citizen Really at the Centre? as its theme. It includes the following articles for essential reading:
- A feature on the Essex Review and responses from a range of organisations.
- An article on tenant-led self-regulation.
- Articles on home ownership and the credit crunch.
- A feature on financial inclusion.
- An article looking at the next steps in the development of the Communities First programme.
Plus all the usual regular features on policy, homelessness, supported housing, Supporting People, race and housing, Social Housing Management Grant and Tenant Empowerment Grant projects and Welsh Assembly Government-commissioned research.
Current Edition: Guest Editorial
Is the Citizen Really at the Centre?
It's not often I feel like punching the air and shouting 'yes' these days. This could be because of a certain lack of excitement in my life since early retirement from local government. But I did enjoy the story about the Local Government Association's (LGA) list of non-words. In fact, I anxiously checked my calendar to make sure it wasn't 1 April. The list of words the LGA Chair wants to see outlawed, which includes gems like 'stakeholder', 'step-change', 'outputs' and 'empowerment', was inspired by concern that the public haven't a clue what councils, or other public and quasi public bodies, are on about. What, after all, are they here, or indeed, there, for?
Strategic documents, which are meant to communicate important plans and policies, come laced with jargon and words that only mean something to insiders. Such non-words do provide useful cover: if no-one understands, then they can't point out that they disagree with what it says or that the organisation didn't actually do what it said it would. Time for more brave souls to buck the fashion, and write simply and concisely. This will be a small step in the right direction if we're serious about putting the citizen at the centre.
Meanwhile in the beating Heart of Wales, there are some great joined up initiatives afoot, there are a lot of interesting things happening.
If you haven't heard about Monergy, for example, check out www.romcul.co.uk/monergy. The scheme can definitely claim to meet the needs of real people. Its starting point is that someone with debt problems is likely to be fuel poor, and needs good energy and budgeting advice to put them on a better footing for the future. The scheme, run jointly by the Robert Owen Credit Union and Bro Ddyfi Advice Centre, is supported by the main local social landlords and has just won a national award from the British Gas Energy Trust. The same Credit Union has now given birth to a community development finance institution [CDFI] - the first in Wales.
As part of a community banking partnership, the CDFI, which has already secured resources from Powys County Council to lend for small home improvements, also plans to lend to small start-up businesses which are unable to secure loans from mainstream banks. Council and housing association landlords have a good record of supporting and working together with such community organisations. Given the likelihood of very hard times over the next few years for people on already low incomes, such partnerships are going to become ever more vital.
Catriona Graham
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The Latest Housing News from Wales
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