The Housing Corporation launched a consultation paper on its proposals to improve the efficiency of grant administration relating to the Right to Manage (RTM) grant programme.
Key proposals include:
The proposals do not recommend any policy changes.
Housing Corporation Chief Executive, Jon Rouse, said: "Our key aim is to simplify and streamline the RTM process, making it much more accessible. We want it to be easier to make bids and reduce the amount of time it takes for decisions to be made".
Copies of the consultation document are available on the Corporation's website at www.housingcorp.gov.uk.
The Housing Corporation announced a new major research initiative, aimed at piloting new approaches to regulation based on accountability to tenants. The research will focus on how associations can develop self-regulation regimes based on their tenants' views and how these might fit with existing and future approaches to regulation and inspection.
The Chartered Institute of Housing is leading the project, working with Tribal Consulting and TPAS. A steering group will include representatives of the Housing Corporation, Audit Commission, and National Housing Federation.
The research is in response to one of the recommendations of the recent review of regulation, conducted by Sir Les Elton:
The Housing Corporation, Audit Commission, and National Housing Federation should work with the Chartered Institute of Housing to progress proposals for resident-led inspection as a potentially valuable model for self-assessment.
The aim should be to promote accountability and service improvement and, specifically, offer the prospect of reduced regulation and inspection.
Launching the project, Housing Corporation Director of Policy and Communications, Matt Leach, said: "Our Neighbourhoods and Communities Strategy will place residents and communities right at the heart of our work as investor and regulator. Our ambition should be to explore models of housing regulation based around accountability to tenants."
The study is to be funded by the Housing Corporation's Innovation and Good Practice Programme. It will:
Identify examples of existing good practice of resident involvement that have enhanced accountability and control, particularly where these have led to service improvements by housing associations.
Work with groups of tenants and housing associations to develop new approaches that enhance the accountability of housing associations to their tenants and residents and examine how these could inform the framework for regulating and inspecting housing associations.
Pilot new approaches with a number of housing associations to provide clear evidence of the impact on responsiveness, accountability and levels of service delivery.
The study is expected to produce a report by summer 2007.
Wirral Partnership Homes' tenant, Jean McIntosh, was celebrating after scooping the prestigious Tenant of the Year award at the Northern Housing awards in Manchester. Over 60 housing associations entered a tenant for the award. Northern Housing was looking for tenants who had made a real difference to their communities and to the lives of themselves and their neighbours by being real community champions.
Jean has been volunteering for the past 11 years for a number of local projects to transform the appearance of her local community. In 2004, she set up the Bidston and North Birkenhead Environmental Action Group (BNBEAG), to help create a cleaner and better life for local residents. Just 20 months later, the "hotspot" for fly tipping is a far cry from the cleaner community where people live today.
Jean worked closely with Wirral Partnership Homes' Neighbourhood Warden, the Residents' Association, Wirral Council, Wirral Voluntary Community Sector Network, and local residents to help launch the BNBEAG and she continues to work closely with all parties to promote the work of the group.
An example of a project supported by BNBEAG is the recently launched Mini Warden Scheme. This is aimed at youngsters aged 8-16 from the Bidston Rise area in Birkenhead North. The scheme has seen thirteen youngsters on the streets of Wirral to see first hand what they could do to help improve the area.
The Mini Wardens have joined the Neighbourhood Warden on patrol, identifying areas that need attention.
Their aim is to advise their own community on issues that may arise in the area, such as the dangers of illegal fly tipping and the importance of recycling.Around 300 Family Mosaic HA staff visited over 1,000 residents in their homes, across London and Essex, on Walkabout Wednesday. The main objective was to gather essential information about the views and needs of residents and their households, to support improving service delivery.
Before the merger of Family Housing Association and Mosaic Homes earlier this year, which led to the new Family Mosaic structure, staff at former Mosaic Homes successfully carried out a similar exercise twice. On both occasions feedback showed that it had a positive impact on resident satisfaction levels and the benefits justified the investment made in terms of staff time.
Hopes for similar success prompted Walkabout Wednesday, which saw everyone involved, from directors to development officers, from finance to frontline teams, and from backroom staff to building surveyors.