Guidance was released on new Right to Manage regulations and changes to the Tenant Empowerment Programme (effective from 1 October 2008).
The Tenant Empowerment Programme, which supports the Right to Manage initiative, allows tenants to gain independent advice, training and information and helps them to challenge, influence or control how their housing services are delivered.
The new guidance introduces a voluntary route to tenant management. As a result of this:
The regulatory changes include:
TPAS Chief Executive, Phil Morgan, launched the TPAS response to the consultation on the National Tenant Voice at the Cross Keys Homes Tenants Conference in Peterborough.
In their response, TPAS outline their support for the National Tenant Voice to be based on a 'Tenant Army' of 10,000 trained tenant advocates able to anchor tenants, and tenants interests, in the new regulatory regime being set up by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA).
Phil Morgan said:
"The tenant movement knows its strength comes from the many not the few. During the recent consultation events, including one here in Peterborough chaired by a Cross Keys Homes tenant, there was a strong call for the Voice to be open to all tenants.
"The Tenant Army idea would be an excellent way of building the capacity of tenants to anchor tenant interests in the new regulatory regime, supporting the tenant focus of the new TSA and building a genuinely broad base of ownership of the National Tenant Voice by tenants.
"The National Tenant Voice has a budget of £1.5million a year and we would support a substantial part of that budget being spent on supporting grass roots tenants rather than a big bureaucratic machine.
"TPAS has also supported a range of measures to improve the relationship of the National Tenant Voice with tenants - including open recruitment of tenants into its structures, opportunities for tenants for find out more about those structures, for the Voice to be an exemplar of involving tenants in its work and the creation of a Compact setting out how the Voice was going to be accountable to tenants.
"For the National Tenant Voice to be a true success, it has to demonstrate the same ability to engage and empower tenants as what it demands, rightly, from landlords and the TSA. We will work closely with the Voice to ensure it picks up on the very best practice of tenant involvement locally, regionally and nationally in its work with tenants."
