Tenants Services Authority

Tenant Services Authority

The TSA was set up late last year as the new regulator for social housing in England to raise the standard of services through a well-governed sector that puts tenants first.

By spring 2010, we plan to become responsible for all affordable housing, whether it’s provided by local authorities, housing associations or arms length management organisations (ALMOs). In regulating across the domain, it is vital that from kick off we place the T in TSA at the very heart of everything we do.

Our remit from Government is very clear - put tenants and tenants' interests first. To deliver on this, we will be implementing new standards to ensure tenants get the best service and opportunities for involvement. We knew that tenant input would be the best way to do this, so we are talking to tenants about what they want from these standards. Since the start of this year, we've been talking to tenants through our National Conversation - the biggest ever consultation exercise for social housing tenants. From Cornwall to Cumbria, from Devon to Durham, we've been explaining our mission and engaging with tenants to find out what they really want from their landlord. We have set up regional events and listened to tenants through our campervan, but most importantly have encouraged the holding of thousands of 'local' conversations supporting tenants discussing this in their communities with their neighbours.

We will be publishing a summary report in May and this will be followed up by a second round of consultation with tenants and landlords about our draft standards and how we see tenants making local deals with their landlord.

Whilst we are developing our new ways of working we will continue to regulate using the older powers of the Housing Corporation, but with an unapologetic focus on financial viability during these difficult economic times. Once we have completed the consultation on the new framework, we will turn on the extra powers in the 2008 Housing and Regeneration Act that established the TSA. Those powers provide us with a much better ‘toolkit’ to intervene to get things sorted for the benefit of tenants.

Phil Morgan

Tenant Services Authority
0845 230 7000