Hull Council launched a new agreement, which documents the ways in which its tenants can be involved in decision-making processes and contribute to improvements in housing services.
The Key to Our Future is a citywide agreement that explains the Council's commitment to working with its tenants. It is the product of a range of pilot exercises over the past 18 months, which have explored different ways of involving local people in the decisions that affect them. These pilots have included mystery shopping, tenant inspections, and the development of Service Improvement Groups.
The Council plans to continue to develop new initiatives, aimed at improving and encouraging tenant participation. The partnership approach will include shared responsibility in monitoring and reviewing the progress made.
The National Housing Federation announced it is setting up a commission to consider new ways of improving the accountability of housing associations to their tenants and increasing tenant participation. The commission will seek to develop new ideas and spread good practice.
Ed Mayo, who is the Chief Executive of the National Consumer Council, will chair the commission. Twelve other representatives from the public, private, and voluntary sectors will be invited to join the board of the commission.
Key issues for the new commission will be centred on both the decision-making processes on the board and those decisions made at grass-root levels.
The commission responds to a Government pledge to make social landlords more accountable to their tenants.