Posted 03.12.12
Effective tenant involvement in major processes of social housing reform is often undermined by ineffective support for their endeavours, according to new research published by the Building and Social Housing Foundation.
The research, which included in-depth interviews with tenants involved in stock transfers across the UK, revealed several issues which prevented effective engagement with stakeholders and limited their ability to influence change.
The research report, entitled Tenant Involvement in Stock Transfer: Improving education to unlock potential, makes recommendations for how this situation can be significantly improved by restructuring the guidance on tenant support.
It also highlights how Independent Tenant Advisors (ITAs) could play a significantly more effective role in addressing these issues than they do at present.
Alongside the role of advisors, the report calls for housing providers to engage in a more wide-ranging and open dialogue with tenants, as a significant number of interviewees expressed frustration that housing providers seemed unwilling to:
The research also identified that tenants are keen to be involved in improving the communities in which they live, and not simply their own private living conditions. By recognising and supporting this, advisors and housing providers can unlock this potential and see local communities benefit as a result.
Tenant Involvement in Stock Transfer: Improving education to unlock potential is available from the BSHF website website as a free download.
