The Housing Corporation commissioned research into the support needs of small housing associations.
A sounding board consisting of members of small housing associations, representative bodies and the Corporation was earlier established to examine the type of guidance and advice small housing associations might need with regard to how effective they are and how they can be improved.
The research will explore the most effective ways of helping small associations and seek the views from these associations and their representative bodies.
The types of support and advice that smaller housing associations may need includes:
Housing Corporation Field Director for the South East and leader on this project, Fiona Cruickshank, said:
"Many small housing associations are either BME housing associations or provide support for vulnerable groups. When assessing the type of support they need, it is vitally important to seek the views of a variety of small associations and their representative bodies.
"A Housing Corporation Innovation and Good Practice project looking at the pressures faced by small housing associations is already underway, and we hope to build on this research."
Assets and Opportunities, a new research report from Notting Hill Housing reveals the motivations and barriers tenants face in moving-on from social housing in order to get a foot on the property ladder.
Whilst the majority (63%) of social renters based in London and the South East are eager to take the next step towards owning a property of their own, many have a number of concerns about the reality of being able to achieve this goal.
The research, conducted on behalf of Notting Hill Housing by Ipsos MORI, questioned 639 people aged between 15 and 59 currently renting from housing associations or local authorities in London and the South East.
Despite the common misconceptions about home ownership revealed in the report, only 10% of social tenants say that they are not interested in home ownership at all and 78% of respondents acknowledge that owning their own home would be a good long-term investment, providing security for themselves and their children.
Despite this strong desire to put down roots and invest in a property of their own, nearly three quarters (73%) worry about taking on too much debt and 58% of social tenants believe home ownership to be too much of a responsibility.
Compounding these concerns is that fact that there is very little awareness of the different home ownership products and options available to social renters, with 41% oblivious to various ownership schemes offered by housing associations.
Kate Davies, Chief executive of Notting Hill, said:
"In order to help those tenants that wish to move out of social accommodation and onto the property ladder, it is vital that they are provided with tailored advice and information in order to evaluate their realistic buying options and consider the next steps. These people have been financially excluded from home ownership for so long, their mind-set is that they will never be able to achieve it and this isn't the case anymore now that new Low Cost Home Ownership products are being made available.
"The largest group identified by the research was made up [of] people who seriously doubted their ability to ever purchase a property. However the reality is that there are numerous ways for them to get out of the renting rut. Encouraging mobility amongst existing social tenants will free up subsidised social housing for those who have a current requirement."