TSA champions landlord and tenant engagement

15 Nov 2010 09:53 AM

The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) is calling on social housing landlords to become champions of tenant engagement. 
 
Through its Tenant excellence fund, the TSA is offering providers the opportunity to become Co-regulatory champions and bid for up to £3,000 to help share their skills and experience with other providers and tenants. The champions will promote and encourage other landlords to increase their tenant involvement in the regulation of their homes and communities with an aim of working together to scrutinise, challenge and improve performance.
 
TSA Assistant Director, Tenant Excellence, Graeme Foster said, “We are inviting providers who involve tenants in scrutiny and similar joint activities to come forward and act as champions for others to learn from. These leaders will give the benefit of their experience and examples of how their approach has worked to other providers and tenants. This will ensure everyone can gain from a stronger co-regulatory relationship between tenants and their landlords.
 
”We want providers to tell us about their successful experiences. We can then share this knowledge with others to raise standards across the sector and ultimately make a difference to residents’ lives. We look forward to receiving some excellent bids to this programme and improving approaches and understanding of co-regulation across the country.”

Bidding is open from today (12 November), with a submission deadline of 10 December 2010. Guidance for potential co-regulatory champions can be found in the prospectus on the TSA website at:
www.tenantservicesauthority.org/server/show/ConWebDoc.20648. 
The successful champions will be announced in the New Year.

For media enquiries, contact the press office on 020 7393 2089/2118 or by email pressoffice@tsa.gsx.gov.uk  

Notes to editors:
1) The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) is the independent regulator for social housing in England, working with landlords and tenants to improve the standard of service for tenants and residents.  On 1 April 2010, the TSA switched on its new powers and now regulates over 1,800 social housing landlords, including housing associations, councils and co-operatives. More than eight million tenants, in over four million homes, across the country will benefit from new standards the TSA has set for all social housing landlords.

2) The Tenant Excellence Fund (TEF) supports all providers and tenants in the improvement of performance.  It focuses on outputs and outcomes which benefit tenants and support co-regulation.  TEF funds work that increases the understanding and aspirations of both tenants and providers within the regulatory regime.