Citizens of Equal Worth: the National Tenant Voice

Communities and Local Government (CLG) has published a report setting out clear proposals for the National Tenant Voice (NTV)  which is designed to ensure that tenants’ views sit at the heart of Government’s decision-making on housing strategies. The report is an output from a Project Group set up to advise CLG and Government Ministers.

The Project Group consists of representatives from the three national tenants' organisations and key housing stakeholder organisations. It consulted through 8 events attended by over 1,000 tenants, inviting written comments.

Key roles of the NTV will be:

Advocacy: helping social tenants collectively to speak for themselves as a distinct group in society and to put their views to government and other bodies on any issue affecting social tenants.

Research: identifying the impact that policies will have on social tenants and discovering the views of a wide range of tenants on policy issues.

Communication: providing good information to tenants and developing a two-way dialogue with them.

Support: for the representative tenants’ movement to help it to develop and strengthen.

A selection of the Project Group's recommendations:

• NTV should be an inclusive organisation that works to the widest practical definition of ‘social tenant’.
  
• NTV should give high priority to establishing clear and close working relationships with Government, the Tenant Services Authority, as it develops the new regulatory regime, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the Ombudsman services, and other national and professional bodies working to the benefit of tenants.
  
• The Chair of the Board should be a tenant member chosen by the Board, who should also chair meetings of the National Council.
  
• NTV should become a Non-Departmental Public Body and that powers to fund the NTV should be included in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill; further discussions should take place between the Project Group and Communities and Local Government on the detailed arrangements.

CLG has published an executive summary of the new report, and an update for tenants setting out what has happened since the consultations, how CLG sees the NTV being set up and how tenants can find out more and get involved.