resinvolvecntd

We’re proud of how we involve our tenants, but we also know that there’s always room for improvement. There are people who want to contribute but find it hard, Change in Stockbridge Village and Fitton Hill could not have been achieved without the help, support and guidance of tenants and residents.

In Stockbridge Village our Tenants’ Forum has taken a lead role in organising a number of community projects, gardening schemes and social events. Forum members have used the experience to develop their skills and knowledge and, as a result, have gone on to get jobs, own their own homes or sit on our full board of directors. We’ve responded to our tenants’ willingness to contribute by providing a number of ways they can do this - by holding regular tenant board member elections and by providing facilities free of charge to groups who need spaces for meetings or events.

In Fitton Hill we wanted to involve tenants right from the start. Would-be tenants helped make key decisions as part of the stock transfer steering committee. Several went on to join the estate management committee in January 2005. This was important to us, because we didn’t just want to win the stock transfer ballot, we wanted to harness the willingness of local people to work with us and shape our vision for the area. It’s obviously still early days, but already we’ve conducted a major survey of all Fitton Hill tenants and set up a Tenants’ Forum as a direct result. The Forum met for the first time in September and we are really optimistic about its potential.

We’re proud of how we involve our tenants, but we also know that there’s always room for improvement. There are people who want to contribute but find it hard, either because of work or family commitments, ill-health, or because they are put off by the formality of meetings. Another major challenge is simply that circumstances change and we can’t rely on the people who are involved today to be involved five years down the line. That’s why we’re developing a resident involvement strategy and action plan.

We are looking at ways of bringing in new people, involving a more diverse range of people and providing many more options for people to get involved. We’re going to be much more proactive in letting people know how they can help. And we’re also looking at letting owner-occupiers have a say over matters that affect the whole community, not just our tenants.

The big challenge for us is to prove to people, beyond any doubt, that it is worth getting involved. We need to be absolutely transparent in our actions and we need to make it clear to everyone that their input can, and does, make a difference.