Associations sign up to NHF plan to make boards accountable to tenants

Housing secretary James Brokenshire and his Labour counterpart John Healey both welcomed the proposals.

A total of 44 housing associations have signed up to be early adopters of the proposals, and the NHF has called for more to follow suit.

The four steps in the report, available below, are:

1. A new requirement in the NHF’s code of governance for boards to be accountable to their tenants and residents
2. A new Together with Tenants charter setting out what tenants and residents can expect from their housing association landlord
3. Tenant and resident oversight and scrutiny of the charter, with a report on how their landlord is doing against the charter commitments
4. A closer link with regulation

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the NHF, said: “I am proud to launch Together with Tenants today. It is a demonstration of the fact that as a sector we are addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing the country: how we rebuild trust between people and institutions.

“This is a challenge that is of course particularly pertinent for our sector, after the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower exposed feelings of powerlessness, distrust and disconnection.

“This plan builds on good practice in the sector and must also be the first steps towards meaningful change.”

The headline pledge – board accountability – would involve tenants and residents reporting to the housing association board, which in turn would be expected to respond and put plans in place to address any issues.

The NHF document said that this “should be done in a transparent and public way” but how exactly it works “will be down to the individual housing association in discussion with tenants and residents, recognising that many already have tenants on boards, scrutiny boards or advisory positions”.

Tenants are also being asked to join a newly established tenant advisory panel and respond to a survey about the programme.

The NHF said the proposals have been developed based on 15 months of consultation with housing associations and tenants.

“Housing associations are right to take this positive step in making clear commitments to be accountable and responsive to their tenants,” said housing secretary Mr Brokenshire.

“Providing quality and fair social housing is a priority for this government. I look forward to working with housing associations and their tenants to build pride in the nation’s social housing.”

Mr Healey said: “This welcome charter reflects the truth that housing associations do better when they give residents a bigger role and louder voice in the management of their homes and neighbourhoods.

“The distinctive value of the best housing associations is their strong social purpose, and these commitments rightly recognise that this must include greater accountability to residents.”

Steering group A Voice for Tenants – set up by a group of tenant organisations to establish a national tenant body – said that the NHF’s plan is a “positive and much-needed step towards resetting and strengthening the relationship between housing association tenants and their landlords” and would boost consistency across the sector.

Housing associations, tenants and other stakeholders are being asked to provide feedback on the proposals by 19 April.

Update at 22 February: 10.07am

The total number of associations to sign up is 44, and not 43 as initially reported. One organisation, Settle, was inadvertently omitted by the National Housing Federation in its press statement.