TENANT PARTICIPATION

Tenant Participation



Tenant Participation

The history of social housing for much of the twentieth century was shaped by politicians and professionals as they attempted to grapple with what seemed at times an overwhelming and massively expensive problem. Although there is merit in much of what was attempted, many mistakes were made. One of the underlying problems which led to some of the mistakes, especially after the Second World War, was the failure to ask tenants themselves about fundamental issues such as the design and location of new homes. Choice was never on the agenda. As the shifting social and political climate increasingly emphasized welfare and consumer rights, and as the new tower blocks and maisonettes built in the 1960s proved unpopular, tenant dissatisfaction began to increase. Now, the issue of social housing is again being moved to the centre of social policy. (Young and Garside 1982)

The benefits of tenant and leaseholder participation are invaluable across the board. Participation gives us the opportunity to make informed decisions in developing and implementing “Policy”, based on tenant and leaseholder needs. By listening to our customers, we will improve our services and more effectively identify problems and find solutions early on. Participation enables tenants and leaseholders to exercise more control over their housing and related services, which is a fundamental aspect of their lives and promotes a greater sense of community at both a local and national level

Hills' point about 'options' raises an important issue about housing policy and tenants. This article will look at the impact of housing policies in the twentieth century and will focus on the problem of tenant consultation and participation. Earlier policy was characterized by a top-down approach. It was created by politicians and professionals with no meaningful reference to the tenant. Even when the idea of participation and consultation became widely accepted as a way forward in the 1980s, schemes faltered. However, the City Challenge in the early 1990s, which led to a largely successful re-building of areas such as the notorious Hulme district of Manchester, has highlighted the possible benefits of a rigorous process of local consultation and participation. Future housing policies should not ignore these lessons and should seek out and absorb the opinions and aspirations of the 'consumer'- the tenant- before making the detailed policy decisions on sites, built forms and associated services. (Tiratsoo and Matsumura 2002)

From the late-1960s, a few tenants, who had largely trusted their councils to get on with the job of building a better Britain for all, began to show signs of increasing dissatisfaction and anger. Their opinions had never been sought in any meaningful way, but with the increasing disappointment of the new developments coupled with a series of proposed rent increases and, from 1968, with the possibility of securing grants for modernizing existing properties, some tenants began to voice their sense of frustration, either spontaneously or in small organized groups. Tenant dissatisfaction was not of course, an entirely new phenomenon. The 1891 London dock strike had been supported by ...