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Tenants invited to get involved in the boardroom

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT News Release (135) issued by The Government News Network on 6 June 2008

Housing Minister Caroline Flint announced that tenants will have the opportunity to reward good practice and take action against poor social landlords as she launched the recruitment for the board of the new social housing regulator, the Tenant Services Authority.

The minister called for two social housing tenants to come forward to apply for two of the four new positions on the board of the Tenant Services Authority, the new name for the Office for Social Tenants and Landlords, when it opens for business at the end of this year.

When created by the Housing and Regeneration Bill currently before Parliament, the regulator will be able to identify which landlords are providing a good service to their tenants and reward them accordingly, by cutting red tape through reducing the number of routine inspections or the amount of paperwork. The regulator will be able to demand action against landlords who provide a poor service, calling for compensation for tenants suffering poor service, or in extreme cases change the landlord altogether.

Housing minister Caroline Flint said;

"The new regulator will have wide ranging powers to affect change across the social housing sector and to ensure that the interests of tenants are protected. I want tenants to join the board of the new regulator to share their experience of social housing, to help reward the many excellent registered social landlords and to take suitable action against those who are not providing an acceptable level of service."

Board members will be able to have a direct say on the regulation of social landlords, setting clear standards so that tenants and landlords both know what to level of service to expect. They will need a wide range of skills and experience and will be selected from a range of backgrounds across the private and public sector to ensure that tenants' perspectives are represented.

Following the appointment of Anthony Mayer as the new Chair of the Tenant Services Authority, recruitment of the four board members is due to start from Sunday 8 June.

Tenant Services Authority Chair, Anthony Mayer said:

"The Tenant Services Authority will have a crucial part to play in ensuring that social tenants get a good deal and I would like to encourage people to join me in tackling this challenge by applying for board member positions."

Notes to Editors

Through the new Housing and Regeneration Bill the Government is committed to address the shortage of affordable housing, to make new housing developments more environmentally friendly and to give social housing tenants a better deal. The two new bodies will be created subject to the bill receiving Royal Assent. The new Tenant Services Authority will be an independent regulatory body with powers to cut red tape for registered local landlords and wider ranging ability to take action where tenants are not getting a fair deal.

The new Homes and Communities Agency will be Europe's largest housing and regeneration agency. It will have the responsibility for delivering the Government's housing and regeneration programmes with a budget of over £5bn and a remit which includes supporting the delivery of three million new homes by 2020.

With a mix of private and public sector backgrounds, the new Board Members will have a wide range of skills and experience. They will have particular experience of the commercial realities of delivering large scale physical development, experience of leading organisations at Board level, combined with an understanding of the public sector, public finance and accountability.

More information, including details on how to apply, will appear on the CLG website - http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/ <http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/> the public appointments website - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_4017969 <http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_4017969> and the Veredus website http://www.veredus.co.uk <http://www.veredus.co.uk> from Sunday 8 June. They will also appear in the Sunday Times, Daily Mirror, Inside Housing.

We are looking for 4 Non Executive Board Members each for the HCA and Tenant Services Authority. Board Members have corporate responsibility for ensuring that the bodies fulfil the overall aims and objectives set out in the legislation and the priorities determined by the Secretary of State. Board Members will also have responsibility for ensuring that the HCA and Tenant Services Authority comply with any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds.

Time commitment for both boards is 2 days per month, with remuneration of £13,000 per annum.

Board members will be responsible to Parliament, through the Chairman and the Secretary of State, for contributing to the efficient and effective leadership of the HCA or Tenant Services Authority. They will contribute to the work of the HCA or Tenant Services Authority at a strategic level across the full range of their functions at both regional and national levels.

For the Tenant Services Authority in particular we are seeking at least two Board members with direct experience as a current or previous social housing tenant, as well as meeting the other criteria. The Board as a whole should consider tenants' interests, but these members would be expected to have a special ability to represent tenants.

News Releases: http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsroom