A groundbreaking new study of tenants' views concludes that housing associations could do better in terms of getting the basics right and opening up choices. What Tenants Want is a new report from the Tenant Involvement Commission - an independent commission chaired by the Chief Executive of the National Consumer Council, Ed Mayo. It calls for housing associations in England to renew the relationship with their 5 million tenants, on the basis of better services and accountability.
The new report, which was launched at the National Housing Federation's annual conference in Birmingham, finds that:
Tenants know what their responsibilities are, but do not know their rights.
There is a huge, unmet appetite for choice among tenants. Housing associations tend to focus on choice-based lettings, and are cautious about wider choice. Tenants, in contrast, have lots of ideas on the choices they would like, from choice-based kitchens and bathrooms through to more of a say on appointment times.
Housing associations are often perceived to be paternalistic or, even patronising, in their approach to tenants. Some tenants speak of a "get what you are given" culture within their association and the contractors it employs.
Black and minority ethnic tenants are significantly less satisfied (67%) with the overall service of their landlord than white British tenants (78%).
Tenants know how to complain to their housing association, but few know how to complain about their housing association.
The report recommends housing associations adopt a new ten-point Customer First Plan based upon pledges to improve services and accountability. This draws on over 50 best practice case studies of where individual housing associations are already getting it right - ranging from offering £15 where the housing association or its contractors fails to turn up on time, through to linking staff pay to customer satisfaction ratings.
The Commission argues for tough minimum standards of tenant involvement but with the freedom for housing associations to find what works for them. Options that could be considered include:
Launching the report, Ed Mayo, Chair of the Tenant Involvement Commission, said:
"What Tenants Want is one of the first authoritative national studies of what tenants think of the service their landlord provides. It is essential reading for all concerned with housing and I invite every housing association to consider our recommendations.
"The Commission found many good individual examples of customer and tenant engagement, but standards vary widely across the sector as a whole.
"But the headline message is that housing associations are perhaps not yet as good as they think they are. The message from tenants is stark: you must put your own house in order and deliver better services, more choice, and ensure that tenants have a greater say over their homes and neighbourhoods."
The report also recommends that housing associations should face less government red tape, to allow them to be more innovative and flexible in the way they operate and the services they offer. The needs and aspirations of tenants and customers should determine how housing associations operate, rather than cumbersome and unnecessary bureaucratic regulation.
There are also recommendations for the National Housing Federation to support housing associations improve their services. These include a code of tenant involvement for use alongside the Federation's code of governance and model of accountability, a plain language leaflet for tenants and leaseholders explaining their rights and responsibilities.
There are further recommendations for the Housing Corporation, Department for Communities and Local Government, Audit Commission and the Law Commission.
The Department for Communities and Local Government revealed that the Housing Corporation would be investigating housing associations that failed to draw up policies on resident involvement. Investigations could lead to regulatory action.
Wirral Federation of Tenants' and Residents' Associations held their first Tenant Conference in Birkenhead. The event aimed to bring together all the people working to improve services provided in Wirral, highlighting some of the issues people are facing, discussing possible solutions and learning from the successes that other projects have achieved around the country. The Federation is funded by Wirral Partnership Homes and Wirral Borough Council to work together to further develop community initiatives.
Ipsos Mori published Frontiers of Performance in Housing, an analysis of the wealth of survey data that emerged from the last round of Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) surveys, which local authorities undertook to measure customer satisfaction with the range of services they provide. This report looks at the tenant surveys, and puts the data in context in a way that, to our knowledge, has not been done before.
The report is £200 (£100 for public sector employees) - www.ipsos-mori.com.
