In
response to our recent member survey, the ARCH Executive Board has
announced a number of measures to improve member services and
ensure that ARCH remains fit for purpose in supporting and
representing the stock retained sector.
As an association of councils who have retained ownership and
management of their council housing stock our principle aim when
founded in 2006 was to argue for reform of the council housing
finance system and create more of a level playing field with
Housing Associations and ALMOs with the aim of securing a
sustainable future for council housing in this country, getting the
best deal for councils and their tenants.
I believe ARCH and its membership played a key role in the
introduction of the new self-financing regime which has created a
positive future for councils who with the support of their tenants
wish to retain ownership and management of their council housing
stock. Furthermore, as we have seen, the new self-financing regime
has opened up the opportunity for councils to start building
council housing once again - albeit on a relatively small scale
constrained as they currently are by the HRA "borrowing cap".
The housing landscape has changed significantly since ARCH was
first formed but more needs to be done to ensure that the gains
made so far are not lost and that the future remains optimistic for
those councils that wish to retain ownership and management of
their housing stock and play a role in the direct provision of new
housing. ARCH will continue to:
- Argue the case for council housing;
- Ensure its members are informed of the latest developments in
housing;
- Promote the achievements of the sector.
The ARCH Executive Board has already reflected on its members
views as expressed through the recent member survey and responded
to the changing landscape by:
- Publishing its manifesto " For a Council Housing Renaissance",
in conjunction with the NFA, arguing for the stock retained sector
to be given the opportunities to make best use of the freedoms that
self-financing can provide in maintaining and improving the
existing housing stock and delivering more homes by:
- Lifting the HRA debt cap
- Clarifying the constraints in use of existing headroom in the
debt cap
- Exploring opportunities for councils to build homes for sale and
market rent to support the provision of homes at affordable
rents
- Ensuring all homes sold under the Right to Buy are replaced on a
one for one basis
- Enabling councils to better capture land value gain to provide
more affordable housing
- Ensuring council tenants get a fair deal out of the reforms of
the welfare system and introduction of Universal Credit
- Introducing a regular fortnightly bulletin to keep ARCH members
up to date with the latest developments in the stock retained
sector and promote the achievements of the sector.
- Developing a programme of regional events for ARCH members to
share best practice and learning amongst its members.
At its next meeting on 16 March the ARCH Executive Board will be
discussing its work programme for 2015 and amongst the priorities
being considered are:
Development of the ARCH manifesto
- Follow up action to support the publication and launch of the
joint ARCH/NFA manifesto
- Development of an influencing (lobbying) strategy to support
achievement of the manifesto aims
- Development of detailed policy briefs and any necessary
research programme to support and underpin achievement of the
manifesto aims
Increasing the ARCH national profile and celebrating the
achievements of municipal housing
- Executive Board have expressed a wish to see an increased
national profile to build on the success of the self-financing
regime and promotion of the achievements of ARCH and the stock
retained sector based around a clear set of strategic aims and
objectives and in particular building on the policies identified in
the jointly agreed ARCH/NFA manifesto
- Council housing provides decent affordable homes for millions
of working families and yet, to many, the image of council housing
is one of a tenure of last resort tarnished by the lack of
investment in the past. This needs to change and the success of
councils in providing decent homes at reasonable rents supported by
good quality value for money housing management and maintenance
services emphasised
Improved communication with the ARCH Tenant
Group
- Closer alignment of the ARCH Executive work programme with that
of the ARCH Tenant Group work programme.
- Improved clarity in demonstrating how ARCH policies and
priorities are influenced and guided by tenant priorities to
achieve consensus on a set of commonly understood and supported
objectives
Increasing member recruitment and
retention
- The development of improved links with prospective new ARCH
members and more consistent links and communication with current
and former ARCH members to retain and increase the membership base
(and resultant annual income) thereby securing a stable income
stream from future subscriptions
- Improvements to the ARCH member contact database to ensure it
is expanded to include a range of officers, members and tenant
representatives at each authority and that it is up to date and
properly maintained
- Review of the current "new member pack" and membership
offer.
Development of a 3-5 year Business Plan and Medium Term
Financial Strategy to define the level of member services and
ensure the future financial sustainability of ARCH
- This is necessary in any event to inform the specification for
the re-tendering of the support service contract when it comes up
for renewal in 2015. The content of the Business Plan will depend
on a balance between the level of member services offered and the
level of membership and income from member subscriptions in order
to ensure a sustainable budget over the period of the Business
Plan.
Preparations for Support Services Contract
renewal
- Significant work is required to prepare for procurement and
re-tendering of the support services contract which expires in
December 2015 including review and revision of the service
specification (including improved member services) and decisions on
the form and method of procurement.
Despite the restrictions and constraints of the current
self-financing rules the fact remains that, for the first time
since the early 1980's, the new system of council housing finance
provides a sustainable future for council housing and for those
councils that, with the support of their tenants, wish to retain
ownership and management of their council housing stock and play a
role in delivering more and better homes for future
generations.
ARCH will continue to argue the case for council housing and
support its members in delivering excellent services and the
Executive Board would be interested in your views on the priorities
it is considering setting for the association in the immediate
future as outlined above.
If you have any views or comments on the vision or strategic
priorities that the ARCH Executive Board should be setting for the
organisation and/or on the type of member services it should be
providing to support its members please let us know by emailing john.bibby@arch-housing.org.uk
.