New ASB tool launched for landlords

Published by Julien Tremblin for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Local Government

A new legal tool to help social landlords assess the impact of anti-social behaviour (ASB) on the wider community has been launched by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).

The Community Harm Statement will make it possible for landlords to highlight the harm incurred on a community – not just on individuals – when taking legal action.

The framework will ensure evidence is presented to the court in a consistent manner.

Working in partnership with Kettering Borough Council and the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group (SLCNG), the Community Harm Statement has been developed and piloted by 11 landlords over the last six months.

It has already been used in 21 cases through the courts and has helped assess the impact of ASB on community and local resources.

Steve Boyd, chief executive of Solihull Community Housing, which took part in the trials said: “Our experience shows that Community Harm Statements were effective in court and that judges took notice of them. We feel it is important that community suffering is heard and the statements paint a more detailed picture of how neighbourhoods can be damaged by the behaviour of individuals.”

Building on the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and CIH’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Team, housing minister Grant Shapps initiated a discussion with CIH regarding ASB measures and tools and was “particularly interested” in ways in which the impact of harm on a community could be voiced.

Grainia Long, chief executive of CIH, said: “The Community Harm Statement is an industry leading document that will be useful for social landlords to adopt as part of their toolkit for tackling ASB.  

“It is an opportunity to give communities a stronger voice in the judicial process.

“Anti social behaviour has such a detrimental affect on communities, the impact of last summer’s riots are testament to that, and until now the voice of the community hasn’t been put forward in the courts.

“We know the government is soon to announce new measures to deal with anti social behaviour and this document is the first of its kind to focus on communities and not just individuals.”

Over the coming months CIH will be working with the sector to encourage all social landlords to implement the Community Harm Statement as part of their toolkit for tackling ASB.

Starting from April, CIH will be offering a range of products and services to deliver an integrated housing and ASB service. This will include a range of training, advice and support to landlords.