REPORT ON ARCH TEANANTS’ AND RESIDENTS’ CONFERENCE 2009

As housing moves higher up the political agenda than ever, involvement of people who live in council homes in shaping its future is crucial. ARCH Tenants’ and Residents’ Conference 2009 brought together some120 tenants and residents and officers at Birmingham City Football Club on 30th April to look at latest issues facing stock retained councils.

Opening the third ARCH annual tenants’ and residents’ event, ARCH’s national chair, Cllr Milan Radulovic of Broxtowe Borough Council, said: ‘It is important for authorities whose tenants have voted for their council to be their landlord to take the wishes of people who live in council homes on board and for us to collectively express the support those tenants have for stock retention.

‘We have been pushing ministers on the reform of the housing finance system and house-building. The Government is listening. This is our opportunity to express the strength of feelings tenants have about local authorities being major providers of social housing,’ he continued.

Ted Czerniak, director of housing and leisure at Broxtowe, added: ‘When ARCH was set up, housing was not sexy. Ministers and officials are asking ARCH to sit at the top table now. Housing is sexy and ARCH is on the radar.  We are the voice of local authority housing and we are making an impact.’

Marlene Price, resident representative on the ARCH executive board, told delegates:  ‘I am passionate about council housing and stock retention and have been heavily involved in these issues for 25 years. The partnership between residents, councillors and officers proves the very best model for high quality, accountable housing. ARCH will continue to lobby for us to get the same treatment as other social housing options.

She continued: ‘This is the third ARCH annual tenants’ and residents’ event and it has been an excellent year for ARCH. The tenants’ sub-group is now up and running and met in March and helped decide on topics and speakers for today’s event. We will elect a vice-chair and ensure the sub-group is fully representative. Tenant engagement is a key part of the Government’s agenda and from next Spring the Tenant Services Authority is likely to cover stock retainers and ALMOS, but there are still many unanswered questions to address. We as tenants of stock retained authorities will seek to influence that agenda.’

AWARD WINNERS

Winners of the ARCH Awards for Best Practice 2009 were announced during the conference.

Cornwall Council was presented with the ARCH Award for Best Practice in Tenant Involvement.

Milton Keynes was presented with the ARCH Award for Working Holistically.

Tania Horrocks, community development officer at Cornwall, collected the award on behalf of her authority and its tenants (pictured).

Simon Aslett, resident involvement manager at Milton Keynes, collected the award on behalf of his authority and its tenants (pictured).  

Tania Horrocks	Simon Aslett

Visit the Best Practice section on the ARCH website for full details of the award winning entries.

TENANT SERVICES AUTHORITY

The afternoon’s guest speaker was Mark Wagstaff, policy manager at the Tenant Services Authority (TSA). The TSA’s ‘National Conversation’, which sought the views of tenants nationwide, has recently come to an end. Informal consultation will be followed by formal consultation and new arrangements for RSLs are expected to come into effect at the end of the year. Stock retained local authorities and ALMOs are expected to come under the TSA’s remit by April 2010.

Mr Wagstaff set out the new regulator’s cross-domain approach, which he described as ‘outcome focused’. He told delegates: ‘We are here to raise the standard of services for tenants, champion their needs and aspirations and challenge service providers to meet or exceed the highest standards.’
Tenants should be involved in setting targets for services, have access to information and be able to compare their landlord against others and also be able to trigger intervention when standards are not met, he explained.

WORKSHOPS

A series of workshops throughout the day enabled tenants and residents to give their views on key topics. Carol Beardsall and Kevin Lovatt of Stoke City Council facilitated a workshop on ‘Performance Monitoring of Services by Tenants’. Julie Shaw, anti-Social behaviour officer at Waverley Borough Council led a discussion about ‘Tackling Anti Social Behaviour’. Professor Steven Hilditch led workshops on ‘National Tenants’ Voice Update’ and the HRA Review.

TENANTS’ VIEWS ON HRA

ARCH has recently presented its submission on the HRA review to the Government, outlining its opinions on reforming the housing finance system.

The association has ensured tenants’ views have been taken into account in formulating its position on the HRA, including representation at a major consultation event in London in November. The Government’s proposals on reform of the housing finance system are expected this Spring and ARCH will be poised to respond.

A workshop on the HRA at the annual tenants’ and residents’ conference highlighted familiar themes and areas of discontent. Prof Steven Hilditch, consultant on the review for CIH and CLG, facilitated a workshop entitled ‘Housing Revenue Explained’, during which delegates gave their opinions on matters to be addressed during the review.

This included rent level setting, ring-fencing of housing funding and the redistributive national finance system.

Alison Lowe, a tenant representative from Norwich City Council, argued that rents should be set locally and not nationally.

Tenants have expressed discontent that such a high proportion of their rent is disappearing into the national pot, which is now £200m in surplus, and argued that this should be directed at meeting local housing needs. For example, Margaret Highton a West Lancashire District Council tenant, pointed out that her authority is debt-free and 20p of every pound of rent paid is lost to the national subsidy system. The point that council housing is not subsidised but pays its own way and, indeed, makes a surplus nationally needs to be emphasised to ministers, workshop participants agreed.

Tenants at the workshop were very clear that capital receipts should go back into the HRA and be ring-fenced for housing and regeneration.

Some tenants also said it is ‘fundamentally unfair’ that they are ‘paying twice’ for services on estates; through their council tax and their rents. Owner occupiers who have bought properties under Right To Buy are benefiting when council housing resources, rather than general fund money, are spent for services such as grass-cutting and upkeep and improvement of the entire estate, they argued.

DETERMING PRIORITIES OF THE TENANTS’ SUB-GROUP

Marlene Price, resident representative on the ARCH Executive facilitated two sessions that examined The Role of the ARCH Tenant Sub-Group.

The sub-group has been set up to provide a regional network for those who live in stock retained properties. The group’s Terms of Reference are now in place. Its first meeting took place in London in March and helped inform the content of the Birmingham conference. Tenant representatives have now been selected for most regions, but further interest is welcome to ensure a governance structure that is representative of ARCH’s geographical spread and types of properties.

The meetings led by Mrs Price on 30th April provided a chance to discuss what the future priorities for the tenants’ sub-group should be. Securing a fair deal for council tenants under the HRA review was agreed to be an urgent priority. Other issues that were suggested for examination included; anti-social behaviour, issues for leaseholders, input into the Tenant Services Authority, rent-setting, and what next after Decent Homes?

REPAIRS TOPS CONCERNS IN INTERACTIVE POLL

The ARCH Annual Tenants’ and Residents’ Conference 2009 rounded up with a discussion of tenants’ and residents’ priorities, which involved interactive voting.

When asked to name their priorities, 38% of tenants classed repairs and maintenance (speed and quality of service) as their biggest worry. The next biggest concern was crime and anti-social behaviour, which attracted 34% of votes. Community cohesion issues were the major concern for 14%. Rent levels were named by 10% as their biggest worry. Environmental issues were named as the key issue by 4%.

In a question about the impact of the recession on housing, 87% of tenants thought housing had become more important since the downturn.

A large majority of voters – 93% – thought councils should have more resources to directly build new homes as a way of providing employment and boosting the national economy as well as providing more affordable housing.  

The tenants present were not particularly optimistic about the outcome of the review of the Housing Revenue Account system, which is currently under way. When asked whether they thought it would provide a fairer and more transparent finance system, only 15% said ‘yes’. The majority – 57% – said ‘no’ and 28% were unsure.

When asked about the importance of housing to employment, education, health, economy and environment, 68% thought its biggest impact was on health. 

PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE ON-LINE
To view presentations from the event please click here

To view presentations from the Financing council newbuild: from words into action event, click here

TENANTS AND RESIDENTS GROUP PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE ON-LINE

Tenants and residents took part in a photocall at the conference.
Group shots of the authorities represented have been emailed to the respective council contacts and can be found in the Tenants’ section on the website.