Far more needs to be done to ensure London’s housing tenants have a voice when decisions are being made about their communities.

That’s the key message from the London Councils-led Community Engagement Taskforce which reported to the Mayor of London’s Housing Forum today.

The Community Engagement Taskforce (CET) was established in early 2006 after London Councils argued that, with various changes occurring in housing provision in London, it was an ideal time to set up a special body to examine the role of community engagement in the capital.

Led by London Councils and chaired by Karen Buck MP, the taskforce was set up as a sub-group of the London Housing Forum (now the Mayor’s Housing Forum). It was charged with investigating the state of community engagement in the capital, and to identify how best to improve tenant and resident engagement in London-wide issues.

One of the Taskforce’s key findings was that both housing association and council tenants have a keen interest in the regional housing agenda, and would welcome the opportunity to contribute if there is a genuine opportunity to influence the debate.

However, the report also concludes that, while there is much talk of community engagement amongst housing providers, far more can and needs to be done to give residents a voice about the decisions affecting their community. With this in mind, the report sets out several recommendations to strengthen community engagement across London.

The report’s recommendations include:

·       Tenants need a body to ensure that they have a permanent voice on London-wide housing issues. As such the report recommends establishing a permanent community engagement group to develop strategies to ensure London-wide resident engagement;

·       Engagement structures should be built from the resident level upwards, and not imposed from above. Boroughs should take the lead in championing local engagement across both the private and public sector;

·       Housing associations should work alongside boroughs to create borough-wide tenants and residents associations (TRAs) for all housing tenures – based on models developed by the boroughs of Brent, Croydon, Hammersmith & Fulham and Newham.

·       Engaging private sector residents will require focussed efforts, and could be lead by sub-regional tenant development officers;

·       Certain groups – such as the homeless, elderly people, young people, and people from black and minority ethnic groups – can often be overlooked. As such a specific strategy for consulting with these groups, as well as a range of informal approaches, should be established. This strategy could be developed with the Equalities Standing Group and could build on existing borough arrangements to consult with people with a range of diverse needs.

Chair of the Community Engagement Taskforce, Karen Buck MP, said:

“The importance of local communities cannot be overstated. People and their local communities are at the heart of everything we do, no matter whether we work in local or central government, for a housing association, or charity or any other organisation.

“The research has some examples of excellent practice but as always there is still much to do. This report will provide a useful starting point. There are lots of opportunities ahead – the Mayor’s forthcoming housing strategy is one amongst many others. I look forward to seeing the good work of the CET and the examples of good practice contained in this report being rolled out. The end result, I hope, will be the greater involvement of local people in the regional agenda.”

London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing Councillor Jamie Carswell said:

“The Community Engagement Taskforce should be congratulated on delivering a report that should help to stimulate much greater efforts from housing providers to engage with their tenants.

“London’s boroughs are committed to working closely with housing tenants to find out how they want the council to run their community, and much of the best practice highlighted in this report stems from the boroughs. I would urge everyone involved in housing in the capital to follow their example and the recommendations from this report.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

For a copy of the report, please contact the London Councils press office.  

Community engagement is the term given when public bodies consult with residents to find out how best to improve the quality of the services they offer.

Community engagement is not new in London, and various housing bodies in London employ community engagement policies – with London’s boroughs often leading the way. The London Housing Strategy also recommends strengthening resident involvement in the London-wide regional housing agenda.

However examples of community or tenant engagement vary widely from borough to borough, and especially between councils, housing associations and the private sector.

For press enquiries please contact: Chris Hogwood on 020 7934 9757

Chris.hogwood@londoncouncils.gov.uk  Fax 020 7934 9769

For non-media enquiries contact: London Councils,

59½ Southwark Street, London SE1 0AL  Tel 020 7934 9999 www.londoncouncils.gov.uk