Plans to make it easier for counciltenants to take control of their local neighbourhoods and services were announcedby Housing Minister, Grant Shapps in March 2012. This paper summarises theseplans.
Mr Shapps has challenged tenants whofeel their landlords have neglected their neighbourhood to exercise theirrights and take matters into their own hands in the spirit of last year's riotclean-up crews. The Minister published plans to strengthen and streamline twokey rights that can help tenants do this.
The Right to Manage aims to givetenants the chance to take over the day-to-day management of housing servicessuch as cleaning, repairs, refurbishment and security to deliver a moreresponsive, better quality and value for money service for their community. Thenew proposals will streamline the bureaucracy involved in transferringmanagement responsibilities to a tenant management organisation, speeding up thehandover process.
The Right to Transfer allows tenantsto request the ownership of council homes in their neighbourhood to betransferred from the council to a local housing association. This could bebecause tenants believe this new landlord could provide better services likecleaning and security or bring more investment into their area such asimprovement to people’s homes and the environment including the decent homesstandard.
At the moment tenants can put forwarda case for transfer, but councils have no obligation to consider theirproposals. The changes proposed today will strengthen these rights, requiringcouncils to work with tenants to explore transfer requests.
For full briefing paper please click here.