Housing Association Tenants' Sub Committee

Introduction

In the last few years we have seen a significant increase in the Federation’s membership of housing association tenant groups. We have also seen a similar increase in the number of housing association tenant representatives serving on the Executive Committee.

The Housing Association Tenants Sub Committee was set up by the Federation’s Executive Committee in recognition of the changing profile of our membership. Nicknamed HATS, it is a sub committee of the Executive Committee but membership is open to any interested Housing Association tenant.

HATS was created with a number of objectives. The most immediate is to ensure that ETF broadens its focus beyond its formerly exclusive focus on work with the council. In all its activities the Federation has to continue to take steps to include the concerns and interests of housing association tenants. HATS members take the lead on this by ensuring that:

• Articles on our experience or concerns are submitted for Tenants Voice;
• Agendas for Federation meetings are either broadened to include the experience of housing association tenants or provide an opportunity to specifically address housing association issues e.g. on repairs services or on how to become involved in neighbourhood partnerships;
• The Federation’s annual Work Plan includes and gives priority to supporting the work of housing association tenant representatives and furthering the work on engaging with housing association landlords;
• The Federation takes steps to establish formal working relationships with housing association landlords similar to its long-standing relationship with the council;
• The Federation’s quarterly Progress Report reports fully on the ongoing work with and on behalf of housing association tenants and invites feedback on how this should be taken forward;
• There is an interest in comparing and contrasting housing conditions and services across the range of landlords providing affordable rented accommodation in Edinburgh, and taking action to bring all to the highest standard e.g. through involvement in Tenant Led Inspections.

Alongside this focus on broadening the work of the Federation, the sub committee continues with its commitment to encourage housing association tenants to become involved with their landlords. We believe this is the key way to obtaining improved services. To this end we also do all in our power to encourage housing association tenants to get together in tenant groups and to register as a tenants’ organisation with their landlord.

Acting collectively in this way increases our influence with our landlords and better ensures that our experience is heard and respected. Finally, we are keen to encourage the exchange of experience and ideas across landlords and, to this end, to create opportunities for tenants from different landlords to collaborate in improving both the profile of and the services provided by all landlords of affordable rented accommodation.