The social housing regulator announced it would set up a new action squad to work with landlords on the ground to tackle antisocial behaviour.
The Tenant Services Authority's (TSA) new team, which will start work early next year, will help landlords improve their services to effectively tackle antisocial behaviour. The team will include experienced staff from the front line seconded into the TSA to share their expertise with landlords.
Phil Morgan, Executive Director Tenant Services, said:
"Tenants have told us that dealing with antisocial behaviour is a top priority, so we are setting up a new action squad to support landlords and tenants to share good practice and encourage more joined up working between local agencies to tackle this issue.
"We know that some landlords are already doing a great job and working with families in trouble. The problems created in their communities are dealt with and not just moved to another place. But in other areas, some social housing tenants are causing problems for everyone else - and landlords are not doing enough to deal with antisocial behaviour. Our new action squad will help landlords to tackle the issues head on.
"We're developing national standards for social housing landlords, which all providers will need to meet from April next year. One of these is our neighbourhood and community standard - where dealing with antisocial behaviour is key.
"This new standard will build on the existing Respect Standard for Housing Management, which plays a crucial role in driving up standards in preventing and responding to antisocial behaviour within the housing sector."
The TSA will work with Communities and Local Government on the review of the Respect Standard and will be engaging with landlords, tenants and stakeholders in this work.
Communities Secretary John Denham announced that the Government is to spend £10 million ensuring measures to tackle antisocial behaviour are properly used.
This will include training and support for those in a position to tackle antisocial behaviour, such as community safety teams, neighbourhood wardens and housing officers.
There will also be more support for residents and community activists so that they know their rights and also how to report antisocial behaviour to the right authorities.
Whilst it welcomed the announcement, the National Housing Federation (NHF) warned that housing associations should not be compelled to adopt the Respect agenda, as this could divert resources away from long-standing and successful measures that they already have in place.
NHF Chief Executive David Orr said:
"No one should be forced to live in constant fear of crime and harassment and we welcome any measures which will effectively help to tackle the scourge of antisocial behaviour.
"Housing associations across the country are already at the forefront of addressing antisocial behaviour within their communities and have proved highly effective at defeating the hooligans with an innovative and diverse range of targeted programmes.
"We are concerned that compelling landlords to adopt the Respect agenda could divert resources away from the already very successful measures housing associations have in place and could stifle creative local solutions to these often complex issues."
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has been commissioned by the Government to draft new guidance to help landlords tackle antisocial behaviour in a new £10 million drive targeting 130 local authority areas in England.
The CIH identified the importance of tackling antisocial behaviour to tenant satisfaction and the well-being of communities in the mid 1990s, resulting in the publication of its first guidance on nuisance and antisocial behaviour in 1998. It has continued to develop its thinking on this issue in a series of five publications and tool-kits over the past decade.
The CIH Director of Policy and Practice, Richard Capie said:
"Antisocial behaviour was a key issue for tenants in the recent national conversation. Many social landlords, particularly those located in large urban areas are actively using the full range of powers and interventions, others are not so confident.
"The CIH is delighted to be working with Government to provide new guidance for social landlords. A detailed understanding of the full range of tools and interventions available is key, as is the confidence to use the powers available."
