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Social landlords in England will be required to report residents’ satisfaction in an effort to restore the balance of power between owners and tenants in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Housing Secretary announced.
Robert Genrik said that measuring problems « of concern to renters » could be used to guide investigations by the new proactive consumer regulatory authority for landlords and social boards, which was also suggested in the government’s Social Housing White Paper.
A new wing of the Social Housing Regulator will verify criteria including quality of homes and repairs, engagement of landlords with tenants and their handling of complaints.. The Social Housing regulator is currently examining the finances and governance of housing associations, seen as far from England’s 9 million population.. .
Last year, the regulator identified only 15 cases that required its intervention due to problems that threatened severe harm. The new system is expected to cover approximately 1,000 owners and local councils.
The detailed proposals will be published on Tuesday in the long-awaited white paper, which promised Jenrick that it would give tenants « a much stronger voice and, in doing so, [refocus] the sector on its social mission. ».
“I want to see social housing tenants empowered through a regulatory system and a culture of transparency, accountability, decency and public service that matches the best intentions and deep roots of social housing in this country,” he said.
Tenants’ rights advocates caution that satisfaction ratings will only be meaningful if evaluated independently.. They called for the new regulatory arm to be provided with at least 100 inspectors to detect problems before they lead to disasters like Greenville. . The regulator currently only investigates housing unions or the housing providers’ board interactively, when something goes wrong.
“There are problems with social housing that could have been identified through a more proactive investigation of landlords and conditions,” said Rob Gershon, a tenant rights activist.. “This provides this possibility but it must be staffed and consumer regulation should be treated with the same seriousness as financial and regulatory regulations..
Jenierk said the changes will speed up the handling of residents’ complaints by the housing ombudsman and « empower residents » by requiring landlords to improve tenant participation.
The Local Government Association said, « It is of utmost importance that all residents of social housing be heard. ».
Cllr Darren Rodwell, LGA Housing Spokesperson, said: “We are supporting measures that will make the current compensation process more visible, fair and accessible to all tenants, regardless of how long of tenure they live in.
“The councils also decide that tenants should have the security of a safe, well-maintained home with any issues addressed quickly and satisfactorily.. Tenants of all home tenure should expect that landlords will work constantly to improve living conditions.
In a move likely to appeal to social housing dwellers who do not aspire to owning a home, Jenrik said the government « will ensure that social housing can support people to take their first step towards ownership, so it is laddered to other opportunities. ».
Ed Davarn, vice president of Grenfell United and a survivor of the fire, said: “If this white paper is going to make a difference in people’s lives, the organizer and ombudsman must understand the devastating impact a bad landlord can have on people’s lives.. We have little confidence that the bad landlords will improve themselves, so now the onus is on the regulator and the complaints monitor to use their new powers to ensure residents are not treated at all as we were.. .
The reforms have been widely welcomed by social housing owners. Kate Henderson, CEO of the National Housing Federation said: “Housing associations have shown a willingness to take on more responsibility and transparency, and we believe the White Paper represents a natural progression of the work we have been doing.. We welcome the regulator that cares more proactively about how organizations meet consumer standards. We believe it is important for the regulator to be there to ultimately protect the rights and interests of the residents.
Greenville Tower Fire, Celotex, Building Isolation, Housing
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Ref: https://www.theguardian.com