Resident involvement consultation begins

10 July 2019

Southwark Council has launched the next stage of consultation on its plans to make it easier for more people who live in council homes to have their say on housing.

The council wants more people who live in council housing to have a say about their home and neighbourhood, as currently less than 0.5 percent of our residents are engaged with the council through the existing structures.

A two year process has seen the council gather a range of views from residents about what future engagement between the council and residents should look like in terms of housing.

In 2017, the council commissioned a review of resident involvement and it found that the current system was out of date and needed to be overhauled. 
In response, the council formed a panel that brought together people who live in council homes and council officers to consider how residents can be more effectively involved in decisions about housing in the borough.

After consultation with residents on the panel’s recommendations, the council is proposing the following changes:

  • More support for more Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs).  This is to help TRAs undertake inclusive activities to build strong local communities
  • An online panel of residents to help more people share their views
  • Discussion of housing issues at ward forums
  • A high-level forum of tenants and homeowners to advise the Cabinet Member for Housing
  • Increasing the amount of resident involvement funding to go to the grass roots
  • Resident oversight of an efficient independent advice service for tenants and homeowners

Cllr Kieron Williams, cabinet member for housing management and modernisation, said: “As a council we want as many people who live in council homes as possible to be involved in the decision-making processes that affect them. We want to create a system that ensures the full diversity of our residents is represented and everyone’s voice is heard.

“By providing a range of options for people to get involved we can better listen to and work with a full range of the people who live in and own our homes. Our aim is to improve how we work with our residents so that together we can ensure our homes, estates and borough are great places to live.”

Have your say here: www.southwark.gov.uk/residentinvolvement
 

Page last updated: 10 July 2019

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