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The Northern Housing Consortium delivers on the National Conversation

Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) in conjunction with Housing Quality Network (HQN) has been assisting the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) in the delivery of the National Conversation since January 2009. To date this has captured the views of tenants, housing providers and key stakeholders to inform and shape the TSA's new standards framework and to increase the awareness of the new tenant centred approach that the TSA will adopt.The National Conversation has involved the largest programme of consultation, which has involved a combination of regional tenant and landlord events and engagement with prospective tenants and shareowners nationally across the Country.

These events have provided the opportunity for tenants to tell the TSA what services are most important to them from their landlords, and for landlords to feed in their views around what the priorities should be for the standards that the TSA are formulating and setting.

Key Messages:

Regional Tenant Events

• Tenants had a polarized view on landlord performance
• Key priorities are around repairs and maintenance, good quality homes, affordable rents and keeping promises
• Visibility and accountability
• More and improved opportunities to involvement
• To work with TSA and landlords around choice

Landlord Events

• Clarity around what the standards framework will means to them and what is expected from them
• Would like co-operation from the TSA in helping them to deliver on the standards
• Need an understanding of how the TSA fits in with other structures and partnerships that are in place.
• What will the impact and outcome be around the focus to the new regulation

Shared Owner Consultations

• Inconsistent practices, feels a standard lease agreement needs to be developed with clear set of responsibilities
• Not a tenure of choice, as no other options available that suited need
• Feel like not a priority to landlords and do not have the same rights, if any at all as other tenants
• To have an equal opportunity of involvement and say around the development of services as other tenants.

Prospective Tenant Consultations

• Information needs to be widely publicised as to properties available and who the provider is, and process to apply
• Current allocation system very unfair, lacks choice and participants felt very confused as to how long they would have to wait, and no feedback
• Transparency of information
• Priority for landlords is to listen and value their customers, and to get the basics right
• Landlords should offer extended support services around financial and debt management, moving in and settling in support, advice and assistance around training and employment

A detailed report of the findings of the National Conversation and what participants outlined as important to them and what TSA think needs doing to make sure future standards fit with what customers and landlords want will be published in the spring.

For further information on the Tenant Services Authority and the National Conversation visit the website http://www.tenantservicesauthority.org/

Housing Policy Explained - feedback from the essential guide

The world of housing is going through perhaps its biggest evolution in a generation and the government has responded by announcing a raft of new policies and legislation that will impact on anyone working in the affordable housing sector. On 22^nd January 2009 over 60 members visited York Racecourse to attend the Consortiums first ever Housing Policy Explained event facilitated by Jan Luba QC from Garden Court Chambers, London (voted Public Sector Lawyer 2007).

This event will now become an annual feature on the Consortium events calendar as a result of feedback in which 94% of delegates rated their satisfaction with the event at 8 out of 10 or higher alongside excellent feedback from Paul Downie, Deputy Director of Housing Strategy & Performance at CLG.

For those who were not able to attend, the event aimed to ensure that members are prepared and understand the operating environment that will exist in the year ahead. Expert speakers demystified the policies and what they really mean for organisations, as well as providing a practical insight into how to turn an element of that policy into practice. Sessions included:-

• Housing Policy review - An essential look at the main developments in 2008 and how they will impact in 2009.

· The latest government thinking on the housing reform agenda.

· All the main legal and statutory instruments that affect housing and what they mean for your organisation

· A review of the new national and regional architecture - What changes will Homes and Community Agency, Tenant Services Authority and the new regional bodies mean?

· The next steps - The 2009 Agenda for action by providers

Presentation slides can be found on our website. If you would like to order a delegate pack or speak to a member of the policy team please contact us.