Social housing tenants get cash so their voices ‘are heard’

A Government cash pot of £500,000 will help to train and support social housing tenants to have their ‘voices heard’, it has been announced.

The aim is to help tenants in England raise issues with their landlord.

The scheme will launch in the Spring as part of other reforms that see social housing tenants getting a ‘stronger voice’.

The cash is provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Engage effectively with their landlord

Now a partnership of experts in the sector will roll out a training package open to anyone living in social housing so they can engage effectively with their landlord to demand a higher quality of service, where needed.

The training will see tenants learning how to take an active role in how their home is managed through workshops, forums and online resources.

The scheme will run over the next two and a half years and cover issues such as how to set up a residents panel or how to challenge a landlord if they fail to meet required standards.

The Social Housing Regulation Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, will also mean that tenants’ complaints are listened to and dealt with quickly and fairly, with stronger powers for the Regulator to hold landlords to account.

‘Giving tenants the decent home they deserve’

The minister for social housing, Baroness Scott, said: “Landlords are responsible for giving tenants the decent home they deserve and the government is taking action to ensure tough consequences for any who fall short.

“We also want to make sure every resident is heard and has the opportunity to be actively involved in how their home is managed.

“This new government-backed scheme will help to do just that – empowering residents to challenge their landlord where needed and contribute to positive change in their homes and communities.”

‘Promote resident empowerment and control’

The Confederation of Co-operative Housing’s chief executive, Blase Lambert, said: “We exist to promote resident empowerment and control and want all residents to understand their rights, be able to raise issues with their landlords and hold them to account and to be able to shape and improve the services they receive and the homes they live in.

“Our vision for this programme is for it to be a catalyst for change, complementing other government action outlined in the Social Housing White Paper and helping to drive a process of cultural change in the social housing sector leading to a better balance of power between landlords and residents.”

Last month, social housing residents from across the country came together to launch a new 250-strong panel, which will advise the government on its plans to raise social housing standards.

The new training scheme will now form part of the government’s work to address issues raised by the panel, such as the handling of repairs and maintenance, as well as landlord accountability.

Share This Article