Info for tenants
Here we bring you our library of news and information especially for tenants. Scroll through the documents to find information on involvement and empowerment issues, the tenants compact, governance and much more.
Some of these documents are protected and tenants will only be given access if their landlord is a member.
Click here to view the members list
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Top architects and housing experts to think up age friendly homes of the future
9 July 2009Top architects and specialists including Sir Richard MacCormac and Professor Anne Power are amongst those recruited to take on the challenge of making sure homes of the future meet the needs of our ageing population
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TSA funding to recognise and promote best practice and innovation
3 July 2009A new project to identify and promote best practice by social housing providers in England has been launched by the TSA. HAs, LAs and ALMOs are invited to make bids of up to £9,000 to support the development of agreements between landlords and their tenants to develop 'local deals'
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What does excellence look like? Resident involvement
16 June 2009Network briefing by John Wheeldon looking at the attributes of excellent three star organisations inspected by the Audit Commission in 2007 and 2008. This briefing covers resident involvement
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Draft Housing (Scotland) Bill: a commentary
11 June 2009Network briefing by Dave Alexander on the draft Scottish Housing Bill which is the subject of current consultation. The briefing looks at the proposals in detail, and offers a commentary on the consultation questions posed by the government
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Neighbourhood Management
4 June 2009Neighbourhood Management is an approach that enables local communities and service providers to work together at a neighbourhood level to improve services and quality of life
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Empowering communities to influence local decision making - A systematic review of the evidence
2 June 2009This study used a robust, replicable method to systematically review the domestic and international evidence base around community empowerment. The aim of the review was to make sense of variable and often competing or contrasting evidence in order to identify which mechanisms empower; in what ways, and in what contexts
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Communities Progress Report
2 June 2009In July 2008 the government published the White Paper Communities in Control: Real People, Real Power which aims to pass power into the hands of local communities. This progress report sets out progress made since the publication of the White Paper and provides a timeline for future implementation
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Empowering communities to influence local decision making - Evidence-based lessons for policy makers and practitioners
2 June 2009This CLG report draws on a systematic review of community empowerment to provide evidence-based lessons for policy makers and practitioners
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Complaints/compliments toolkit
26 May 2009The Network's popular self-assessment toolkit by Gill Stead
Additional files:
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Co-regulation: What does the TSA really mean?
19 May 2009Network briefing by Kate Murray finds out from Peter Marsh, Roy Irwin, and chief executives
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Hazel Blears: Local people key to unlocking greater savings
7 May 2009Councils must listen to the views of local people to work smarter and make greater efficiency savings, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced
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Hazel Blears backs 'revolution to recycle' buildings
29 April 2009Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has unveiled a series of measures to back a people's revolution to recycle buildings by putting real power in the hands of locals to support communities during the downturn and beyond
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Tenants want more involvement in housing management, says new report
30 March 2009The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) report Understanding Tenant Involvement explores the attitudes that social housing tenants have towards involvement in housing management and decision making
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WeCan! - Spring 2009
19 March 2009Quarterly CLG magazine for people interested in getting involved in and influencing the delivery of services in their local area
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Challenge to landlords to give tenants a greater say
5 March 2009Social housing landlords need to focus more on their tenants and involve them in making decisions about services, according to the Chief Executive of the Tenant Services Authority (TSA)
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TSA calls for housing associations to examine stock to improve services to tenants
27 February 2009Housing associations that streamline the ownership and management arrangements of their homes can improve services to tenants, according to the Tenants Services Authority (TSA)
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Thousands of tenants prove that it is good to talk
27 February 2009Thousands of tenants are proving that it is good to talk by getting their voices heard in the Tenant Services Authority's (TSA) National Conversation - the largest ever consultation with social housing tenants
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National Tenant Voice begins to take shape
13 February 2009Plans for the new independent National Tenant Voice (NTV), which will give tenants a say on the housing issues affecting them, have been published and accepted by Ministers
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Citizens of Equal Worth: The Project Group's Proposals for the National Tenant Voice - full report
11 February 2009CLG’s project group report (Citizens of Equal Worth) makes clear recommendations to government on the role, remit and governance of the National Tenant Voice
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National Tenant Voice plans agreed - an update for tenants
11 February 2009This note sets out what has happened since the consultations, how CLG see the NTV being set up and how tenants can find out more and get involved
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Citizens of Equal Worth
6 February 2009CLG Executive summary of the Project Group's Proposals for the National Tenant Voice
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The potential of migrant and refugee community organisations to influence policy
2 February 2009A Joseph Rowntree report on a partnership set up to test how migrant and refugee community organisations could change policies and practices that are crucial to the lives of their communities
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Empowering Birmingham's migrant and refugee community organisations
2 February 2009Joseph Rowntree report which explores how migrant and refugee community organisations (MRCOs) can be supported and trained to collect evidence from their communities that will help influence policy and service provision
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Councils are crucial to getting communities through the downturn
29 January 2009Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to councils providing pivotal support to communities through the global economic downturn
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Citizenship survey - citizens feel a strong sense of belonging
29 January 2009Communities and Local Government survey
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County Councils Rising to the Challenge: Community Empowerment at work in our neighbourhoods
27 January 2009Speech by Sadiq Khan MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
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Communities in Control: Real people, real power - Government response to the improving local accountability consultation
27 January 2009A summary of responses to the improving local accountability consultation and the government's response to the consultation
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Blears - real help for communities in Barnsley
27 January 2009Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has begun a series of visits across the country to see first hand how local leaders are making use of devolved powers in responding to pressures facing their communities, explain what government is doing to provide real and practical support and find out how they can further help authorities to get on with the job
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Hazel Blears - Supporting communities to support individuals
14 January 2009Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has unveiled measures that will see young people from some of the nation's most deprived areas getting involved in activities that will introduce them to a world beyond their immediate neighbourhoods, involve local communities in efforts to raise their aspirations and aim to break the cycle of deprivation that blights some of our communities
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TSA Board member named in the New Year Honours List
12 January 2009TSA board member Dennis Rees has been awarded the OBE for his services to housing in the New Year Honours List
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Guidance on meaningful interaction: How encouraging positive relationships between people can help build community cohesion
8 January 2009This guidance is Communities and Local Government's first attempt to set out what we know about meaningful interaction, based on research findings and the views of expert practitioners
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Guidance on building a local sense of belonging
8 January 2009Last year CLG worked with the Citizenship Foundation to publish the Citizens' Day Framework. This guidance is the next step and suggests ways in which councils, voluntary groups and other organisations can encourage a sense of belonging
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Civic Pioneers Case Study Review
5 January 2009In the spring of 2007, funding was made available through the Community Empowerment Division to Civic Pioneer local authority areas to carry out projects focusing on community empowerment. This Review presents case studies of each of the twelve funded projects, together with a simple analysis of the lessons learned from these experiences. The report represents valuable learning for practitioners and policy makers
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Citizens of Equal Worth: putting tenants at the heart of government
30 December 2008Network briefing by Nigel Long summarises the now publicised recommendations of the NTV project group
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Fair Rules for Strong Communities
19 December 2008A cross-government plan setting out the values and characteristics that ministers believe matter for strong communities. The purpose of the plan is to provide a clear statement of the government's understanding of the issues facing communities and its approach to addressing them
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Stop press - Delivery team for Tenant Services Authority’s National Conversation announced
10 December 2008HQN and the Northern Housing Consortium (NHC), who provide a range of membership services to clients in the housing sector, have formed a partnership to deliver a comprehensive events programme. This will include both tenant-led and TSA-led events for tenants, prospective tenants, landlords and providers
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Community ownership and management of assets
10 December 2008A Joseph Rowntree review of evidence on community organisations owning or managing assets, including buildings and land
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New legislation to help build stronger communities
8 December 2008The government has published wide-ranging legislation that will give local people new rights to shape local services and give greater responsibility to local authorities to promote economic development helping communities respond to local challenges
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Tenant empowerment: turning fine words into best practice
19 November 2008Network briefing by Nigel Long explores tenant empowerment, including tenant-led areas of good practice
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Promoting inter-generational understanding through Community Philosophy
31 October 2008Communities can bring younger and older people together in ways that may be uncomfortable for both groups. Young people’s behaviour may be labelled 'nuisance', while older people's views may be labelled 'intolerant'. This Joseph Rowntree study summarises an independent evaluation of the 'Thinking Village project', which was designed to develop intergenerational understanding in a neighbourhood, using the principles of 'Community Philosophy'
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Communities in Control- Real power, real people - Redress review
27 October 2008The Empowerment White Paper 'Communities in Control: Real people, real power' announced the government's vision for empowering communities. As part of this it set out that there would be a review into the feasibility and practicality of introducing and extending the idea of redress for citizens where services do not meet expectations. The review will also take a wider look at how the customer can really be put at the heart of local service delivery
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Code of Service Delivery and Accountability
24 October 2008NHF draft Code which has been developed following consultations with tenants around the country, and responses to an online questionnaire. The Federation is now seeking further feedback from its members and their tenants on the content of the Code
Closing date 8 December 2008 -
Blears invites ideas to improve local communities
16 October 2008Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today called on councils to work closely with their residents to unearth new and innovative ideas to improve their local area and make places in which people want to live, work and raise a family
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New regulation and guidance to encourage and support tenant empowerment to come into effect
1 October 2008New regulation and guidance to encourage and support tenant empowerment has now come into effect as new Right to Manage regulations and changes to the Tenant Empowerment Programme are introduced
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Residents’ choice: Guidance on tenant management and other options supported through the Tenant Empowerment Programme
1 October 2008This handbook gives guidance to residents living in social housing who are considering taking control of housing and related services. It looks at how residents can get advice and consider their choices for having more influence over services in their neighbourhood
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Local choice, local control: Statutory guidance on tenant management for local authorities and local authority tenants
1 October 2008This guidance is given under the Housing (Right to Manage) Regulations 2008, which provides that all those who are exercising functions under the Legislation are required to take into account this guidance
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National Tenant Voice
22 September 2008Network briefing by Sheila Adamson looks at how proposals for a National Tenant Voice are developing
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The Cole Report: delivering cross-domain regulation for social housing
11 September 2008Professor Ian Cole was appointed to chair a panel of independent stakeholders tasked with producing recommendations to government on how to extend the scope of the Tenant Services Authority to include local authority social housing. This report presents the set of final recommendations
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Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Tenant Services Authority (TSA)
11 September 2008Network briefing by Charlie Hughes summarises the background to splitting up the Housing Corporation's functions of funding and regulation and reminds readers of the reasons and objectives behind this change
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Engaging and empowering women in poverty
31 July 2008Joseph Rowntree report which examines participatory research conducted with women in poverty living in Birmingham, Cardiff and London. The project aimed to build their political capacity so that they could take their collective knowledge and experience, present it as policy proposals to policy-makers and actively help to produce policy change
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New deal for communities: lessons learnt
29 July 2008Network briefing by Sheila Spencer summarises the key messages coming from the evaluations so far, and draws some conclusions which may be of help to housing authorities and other housing agencies in developing their approach to tackling deprivation
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Communities in control: real people, real power: Summary
29 July 2008This is a summary version of Communities in control: real people, real power which tells the story of power, influence and control and how people can use existing and new tools to access it
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Tenant Services Authority (TSA) gets ready for action
23 July 2008The new social housing regulator – the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) – is now ready for action with the news that Royal Assent has been granted on the Housing and Regeneration Bill in Parliament
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Empowerment in Action
21 July 2008Speech by The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
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Emerging proposals for the National Tenant Voice
17 July 2008The government is taking a real lead in putting tenants at the heart of decision making about their homes and neighbourhoods
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Community Power Packs
17 July 2008Communities in control: real people, real power has now been launched. This White Paper is about passing power to communities and giving real control and influence to more people
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Community Power Pack: real people, real power
17 July 2008The Community Power Pack is a practical guide, which can help people play a more active role in their community and influence decisions that matter to them. It is easy to read and focused on fun and creative activities
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Short notice inspections
15 July 2008Network briefing and guidance by Ellis Blackmore explains what to do in detail and how to overcome typical obstacles picking out the relevant key points for Network members
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Rewarding awards?
11 July 2008Network briefing by Cathy Jackson provides a flavour of some of the key awards that are available
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Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities Statutory Guidance: Summary of Responses to Consultation
11 July 2008This document provides a summary of responses received as part of the consultation process for the draft statutory guidance Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities
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Communities in control: real people, real power - White Paper
11 July 2008Communities in control: real people, real power was launched on 9 July 2008. This White Paper is about passing power to communities and giving real control and influence to more people
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White Paper delivers power shift to local people
9 July 2008Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has published a White Paper setting out proposals to deliver a fundamental shift in power, influence and responsibility into the hands of communities and citizens
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Minister confirms new deal for communities funding
3 July 2008Communities Minister Baroness Andrews has confirmed nearly £500m for neighbourhood partnerships in deprived communities across the country, to continue helping their work to cut crime levels, improve educational achievements and boost job opportunities
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National debate on tenant empowerment and tenant choice opened
18 June 2008Housing Corporation Deputy CEO calls for revolution in tenant engagement and involvement
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Community Gateway briefing
27 May 2008Case study briefing by Paul Roberts explores why this approach was taken, looks at their model, community empowerment and what the future holds for Preston’s community gateway model
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Three new rights to right local wrongs - new Community Empowerment Bill to harness petition power
16 May 2008Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has outlined plans to give every citizen in England three new rights to have a greater say to trigger action on local issues they care about. These could range from directing more money from councils to tackle anti-social behaviour and graffiti, to taking over the running of local assets like community or leisure centres, or forcing a public debate on local issues they are concerned about
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New consultation to give people greater say over local spending
19 March 2008Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has set out a new draft strategy for consultation to give people in every local authority area a greater say on how public money is spent by 2012, including exploring for the first time using 'community kitties' for projects to fight crime and tackle obesity
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A network for tenant organisations is launched in Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross
14 March 2008A regional network for registered tenant organisations (RTOs) is being formally established in Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross. In total, nine RTO regional networks are being established across Scotland to provide a formal structure between the tenants’ movement and the Scottish Government