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Mervyn JonesRenewed focus on tenants is an opportunity to become better landlords
As the National Housing Federation (NHF) talks to its members about its Offer to Tenants, Mervyn Jones argues that a new public conversation about social housing is a chance for associations to restate their commitment to tenants
Rarely before have social housing and the experience of being a housing association or local authority tenant been so firmly in the spotlight.
The Grenfell Tower disaster, the narratives of the June 2017 general election and the government’s focus on housing have all contributed to this heightened awareness of the quality and quantity of social housing we need.
The main political parties are all now committed to providing more genuinely affordable rented homes and improving the offer for tenants.
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As housing associations, we have always existed for the people who live – or aspire to live – in our homes and communities.
However, the new public conversation that has opened up gives us the opportunity to restate our commitment to putting the people we serve at the heart of everything we do and ensuring this is the reality in our homes and communities across the country.
This is what the NHF’s new Offer to Tenants work is designed to address.
Let’s take a look back at recent history to put this conversation in context.
It’s now been 10 years since consumer regulation for housing associations was placed on a different footing to the economic, and it was the coalition government of 2010 that abolished the Audit Commission and the onerous housing inspection regime.
Since the financial crash, government narratives have been all about cutting costs and latterly, as the impact of campaigns like Homes for Britain have taken effect, building more new homes.
“A lack of competition means the drive to get better must come from elsewhere.”
Housing associations have risen to this challenge, while continuing to develop new and creative ways of engaging tenants and improving services.
So, we are doing what we can as a sector, delivering an already great offer for our tenants. But there is no room for complacency.
We recognise that many of our tenants lack choice over where they live – and this lack of competition means the drive to get better must come from elsewhere. In my view this has to come from within the sector.
As the chief executive of a housing association, to me being a great landlord means being accountable to the people who live in our homes and use our services, and being trusted to listen and respond to their needs and concerns.
That means being honest about how we are doing, opening up opportunities for tenants to provide feedback and ask questions when they think we can do better, using this feedback constructively to improve and being clear about routes for redress when this doesn’t happen. And, in my experience, providing a great repairs and maintenance service will always be top of the list for tenants too.
“To me being a great landlord means being accountable to the people who live in our homes and use our services.”
Our initial conversations with tenants and tenant representatives suggest this is what is important to them too.
So the NHF’s project is asking some important questions on these issues.
If transparency and accountability go hand in hand, as I believe they do, can a diverse sector like ours find a way to provide a more consistent customer experience to tenants?
And can we do this while avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t recognise this diversity? I think so, but the NHF is gathering views from all its members so we can decide how to move forward as a sector together.
Housing associations are a growing and vital part of the housing system. We are in demand and in the spotlight.
The renewed focus on the experience of social housing tenants is a great opportunity for us to become even better landlords.
Mervyn Jones, chair of the NHF’s Offer to Tenants steering group and chief executive of Yorkshire Housing
