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