Supplementary memorandum by the Tenant
Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) (THC 05(a))
1.1 TPAS is a membership organisation of
over 300 social landlords and 1,000 tenant groups that exists
to promote tenant empowerment. It is a market leader in Tenant
Participation providing training, information services, conferences
and consultancy work.
1.2 The response is subject to formal approval
by TPAS' Board of Management.
2. As partners TPAS hold meetings, roughly
annually, with the Chair of the Corporation. We sit on the Innovation
into Good Practice Advisory Group and are normally invited to
respond to key policy consultations.
2.1 One of those consultations has been
around the recently announced Involvement Policy. This sets out
the Corporation's belief that housing associations should put
"resident involvement at the heart of everything they do".
TPAS has been closely involved in both formal submissions to and
informal meetings with the Corporation. TPAS regards the Involvement
Policy as the most important document ever for tenant participation
in housing associations as it sets out a clear series of duties
for housing associations to involve tenants as well as outlining
how the inspection and regulatory regimes will enforce those duties.
2.2 TPAS also views the Involvement Policy
as key to ensuring that tenants and residents are meaningfully
involved in the implementation of overarching Government policies
on Decent Homes, Market Renewal Pathfinders and the Barker Review
as well as ensuring value for money for the recent £3 billion
funding agreed by ODPM for the Housing Corporation.
2.3 Although TPAS supports the principles
set out in the Involvement Policy, our concern is about translating
those principles into reality. We believe, that at a time when
the Involvement Policy has just been launched, further institutional
change within or for the Corporation would simply result in a
delay to the successful implementation of that Policy.
2.4 In theory, the next few months should
see a substantial reorientation of the Housing Corporation's Community
Training and Enabling Grant to support the implementation of the
Involvement Policy. TPAS has been working, as part of a consortium,
to promote awareness and proposals from tenants for this Grant.
We are disappointed to learn that the allocation from ODPM for
the Innovation and Good Practice programme, which includes Community
Training and Enabling Grants, has been cut from £10.5 million
to £8.5 million. Taking into account projects already committed,
this means that the funding available to support the introduction
of the Involvement Policy has been severely reduced although we
understand that the Housing Corporation are still making CTEG
a priority within their reduced resources. TPAS would like to
see this programme restored to its current level to enable housing
associations and tenants to bring about a sea change in how tenants
are involved in their homes, their community and their future.
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