Tpas, England’s largest member organisation for tenant engagement, is urging the incoming government to adopt a renewed partnership approach in the housing sector with the launch of its Tpas Asks campaign.
The campaign calls for action in four key housing areas: Tenant Voices, Warm, Decent Homes, Tenant Rights and Rents, and outlines the critical measures that the incoming government must address in these areas to effectively tackle the ongoing housing crisis.
Among the list of positive actions proposed by the organisation include establishing a national structure to feed tenant concerns into housing policy, in addition to facilitating open forums and introducing specific representation requirements in the new Consumer Standards.
Tpas is also calling for the Decent Homes Standard to be finalised following the latest government review conducted in 2023 and increased and streamlined funding for retrofitting existing social housing.
Additionally, the list of achievable ‘asks’ includes the creation of a specialist team at Homes England to promote, advise, and manage funding for social housing improvement and regeneration projects.
Jenny Osbourne MBE Chief Executive of Tpas said:
“We welcome much of what we have seen in the manifestos, from commitments to housebuilding and action on decent homes, but we believe it doesn’t go far enough.
“The housing sector is at breaking point, and we need to work together to deliver solutions with everyone being able to have a voice at the table: government, local authorities, housing associations and tenants alike”
Alison Inman, Chair of Tpas, said:
“Tpas knows that tenants have a valuable role to play in developing effective and sustainable solutions to the housing crisis.
“Tenant experiences and insights are essential in shaping policies that truly address the challenges faced by communities across the country.
“Our members know that working in partnership is the only way forward. We hope the incoming government will recognise the strength and potential of this partnership approach, and commit to working closely with tenants to create a housing system that is fair, responsive, and inclusive for all.”
The action plan also includes a call for the development of a safe ‘whistleblower-style’ route for social housing tenants to receive independent advice and advocacy on disrepair and poor standards, with a focus on resolving living conditions rather than seeking compensation or punishing landlords.
On Tenant Rights, the organisation is calling for the restoration of access to Legal Aid and early advice for housing cases, as well as several key reforms to the Right to Buy scheme and increasing the availability of property information to tenants.
The campaign also proposes a new five-year headline rent settlement, in addition to a restoration of rent convergence and the introduction of ‘warm rents’ based on target rents, including discounts for homes not meeting EPC C or above.
To read the full list of proposed actions, and for further details, visit the dedicated Election 2024 area on the Tpas website: http://www.tpas.org.uk.