News

The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) is the regulator for homes owned by housing associations and co-ops.

In January 2009 the TSA launched the National Conversation to draw up a brand new set of standards for all social landlords. During this time the TSA has listened to tenants across England to help them understand what you want to see in the new standards.

Recently One Vision Housing received an update on progress made from Peter Marsh, Chief Executive of the TSA and this is reproduced below:

‘I was delighted with the volume and quality of responses we received, including the large numbers of Local Conversations held by landlords and tenants. I hope we have captured the key messages effectively in the discussion paper that outlines our early thinking around the standards framework. We are about to publish this paper as part of the second phase of the National Conversation.

This next phase will launch on Tuesday 9 June. On that day, we will publish:

• the results of what tenants and landlords told us during the first phase
• a discussion paper on the future standards framework for all social housing providers

This second phase of the National Conversation will remain open until 1 September.

You will be able to download a copy of the full discussion paper from the National Conversation website (www.nationalconversation.co.uk) from 9 June.

We would like to hear your feedback on the questions in the paper, and we would encourage you and your boards to respond. We want tenants to be involved too, and we would be grateful for your help in doing this.

First of all, we will be holding meetings in London (23 June) and Manchester (25 June). As part of the proceedings, we will showcase a resource pack that tenants can use to hold their own Local Conversations. We would like to invite both a landlord and a tenant representative from your organisation to attend. The tenant should then be able to help others to hold Local Conversations. Places are limited, though, so please sign up as soon as possible.

There are plenty of ways that tenants can get involved directly. Please help us let them know by including information about this second phase of the National Conversation in any newsletters you produce over the summer or on your website. Information you can use or adapt, plus the TSA and National Conversation logos, is available now on the TSA’s website.

We will send you a copy of the resource pack and a summary of our discussion paper on 9 June.

I would, again, like to thank you for your continued support in this second phase of the National Conversation. Only by working together will we design a new set of standards that genuinely meets tenants’ needs. ‘