Shapps backs tenant takeover campaign

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Local Government

Housing Minister Grant Shapps is backing a campaign alerting council and housing association tenants of ways to achieve control of their homes.

He has pledged his support to the '1000 Communities Campaign', to be launched at an event this month, which will present new research into tenant self-management.

Last month the Government reaffirmed its commitment to streamlining the Right to Manage (RTM) regulations at a tenant scrutiny event. It first announced plans to do so last February.

The Government wants to introduce regulations that will require councils to co-operate with community ownership initiatives.

The campaign argues that most council and housing association tenants do not know about the opportunities that exist for them to take more control of the homes they live in. Despite, it says, the fact that tenant organisations have been successfully running their own housing for over 30 years and more than 100,000 people live in council and housing association homes managed by tenant-led organisations.

The National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations and ATIC, the sector body for trainers and advisors, are aiming to work with other organisations to get information about tenant control opportunities to a thousand communities in the social housing sector in England.

The campaign also joins in celebrating 2012 as the International Year of the Co-operative.

The event takes place on the 24 January at the Grosvenor Community Hall, Vincent Street, London.

Contact either the NFTMO (contact@nftmo.com or 01704 227053) or ATIC (paul.lusk@atic.org.uk).