It was announced that Anthony Mayer will be the first Chair of the new social housing Regulator - Office for Tenants and Social Landlords (Oftenant).
The Regulator will listen to tenants' concerns and have powers to ensure they are getting a good service, setting standards so they will know what they can expect to receive - for example, on repairs or tenant consultation.
The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords will have new sanctions to use where tenants are getting a poor service from landlords, including requiring that landlords pay compensation or, in serious cases, change their housing manager.
Where landlords provide a good service to tenants, the regulator will cut red tape, with no routine inspections and paperwork kept to a minimum, allowing them to concentrate on providing even better services to tenants and building new homes.
The Regulator is being created by the Housing and Regeneration Bill currently before Parliament. It will initially cover housing associations, but Ministers will seek to extend it to local authority landlords and tenants within two years of it being set up.
Anthony Mayer, currently Chief Executive of the Greater London Authority, will initially take responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation of the Regulator, and will become its first Chair once the Housing and Regeneration Bill receives Royal Assent.
Anthony Mayer is the current Chief Executive at the Greater London Authority, a role he has held for 8 years. Prior to this he was Transitional Chief Executive at Transport for London, a role he took on after 9 years as Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation.
Thames Valley Housing announced the appointment of John Baldwin as its new Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services.
He joined Thames Valley Housing from Notting Hill Housing Trust, where he was Director of Housing Management.
Pamela Bhamra was promoted to Director of Housing and Resident Services at Southern Housing Group. This is a new post that follows on from recent changes to the Group's operations, which will enhance the delivery of resident services.
Pamela Bhamara is a social-housing specialist. Since January 2005 she has been Southern Housing Group's Regional Director for the Thames Gateway region. The region incorporates affordable housing and sheltered schemes between Tower Hamlets in East London, Riverside developments in Barking, Royal Arsenal Woolwich and housing on the Medway.
