CIH expertise to help landlords tackle anti-social behaviour » Housing » 24dash.com

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has been commissioned by Government to draft new guidance to help landlords tackle anti-social behaviour in a new £10 million drive targeting 130 local authority areas in England.

CIH also welcomes the development of new 'Anti-social Behaviour Action Squads', which will work with landlords on the ground to spread and embed good practice.

CIH identified the importance of tackling anti-social behaviour to tenant satisfaction and the well-being of communities in the mid 1990s, resulting in the publication of its first guidance on nuisance and anti-social behaviour in 1998.  CIH has continued to develop its thinking on this issue in a series of five publications and tool-kits over the past decade.

The latest guidance will reflect CIH's accumulated expertise in this area of housing management developed by its members working in local authorities, housing associations, ALMOs and other types of social landlords across the UK.

CIH welcomes the development of Action Squads as another opportunity to put housing professionals at the heart of sector-led improvement.

In recent years, CIH and its members have already championed issues such co-regulation of housing and resident-led self regulation, resulting in sustainable and practical solutions that benefit tenants and residents.

The development of successful Action Squads will require the similar close involvement of housing professionals.

CIH Director of Policy and Practice, Richard Capie said: "Anti-social behaviour was a key issue for tenants in the recent national conversation.

"Many social landlords, particularly those located in large urban areas are actively using the full range of powers and interventions, others are not so confident.

"CIH is delighted to be working with Government to provide new guidance for social landlords. A detailed understanding of the full range of tools and interventions available is key as is the confidence to use the powers available.

"We also believe that the idea of specialists forming Action Squads to drive improvement is positive.  It can be consistent with co-regulation and sector-led improvement.

"We are looking forward to working with the TSA and CLG in taking this forward."