Government 'needs to do more to empower tenants'

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A leading provider of private sector housing has said that the government needs to do more to empower tenants.

Northgate has issued a response to the government's recent Delivering Housing and Regeneration consultation document and warned against simply paying lip service to the issue of tenant empowerment.

Instead, Northgate demanded practical proposals to ensure that tenants' needs are placed at the heart of any reorganisation of social housing regeneration and regulation.

Under the government's plan, a new housing agency would be established to oversee regeneration and investment in social housing. However, Northgate is concerned that the body could become over-centralised and bureaucratic.

The response calls on the government to ensure that tenants are represented in the new body and that a new proactive social housing regulator be established.

"If we are to solve the current housing shortage, we have to make social housing a success," commented Joe Bradley of Northgate Public Services.

"We must reach out to all those living on low incomes and within vulnerable communities and we must work in collaboration to achieve high-quality, well-managed housing which promotes community wellbeing."

Recently London's local authorities said that any new social housing agency must act to support that work of existing bodies and not undermine existing projects.

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