A New Model of Social Housing

1. A New Model of Social Housing

2. Walsall MBC – The Context • Formed in 1974 • Merger of 6 Towns • Politically volatile • Limited Borough Identity • Tradition of community empowerment

3. Why Eight TMOs in Walsall? • Poor Council Services (especially repairs) • Local management rather than bureaucracy • Invest and protect improvements • Homes are more than bricks and mortar • The Right to Manage

4. ODPM Report – Tenants Managing “TMOs are providing an effective service in terms of their own aims and objectives. In most cases, they are doing better than their host local authorities and compare favourably with the top 25% of local authorities in England in terms of repairs, relets, rent collection, and tenant satisfaction.”

5. ODPM Report – Tenants Managing “The failure of local authorities to deliver an adequate level of service which led to the establishment of many TMOs, and the poor quality of the housing stock which some TMOs have taken over, makes their achievements in terms of performance all the more remarkable.”

6. What have TMOs Achieved? • Consistently outperformed the Council • Innovation in service delivery • Stable Communities – Sensitive lettings • Cost-effective use of limited resources • Improvements have been protected

7. Walsall Housing Transfer • 1999 – Council proposes a whole stock transfer • A new group of housing trusts • TMO concerns about the impact of transfer • TMOs consider a range of options • TMOs decide on the WATMOS option

8. WATMOS/TMO Profile • WATMOS is the landord • The 8 TMOs are the managing agents • A tenant-majority Board • WATMOS – strategy and support • TMOs – local management

9. So, is it...?

10. Or, is it...? Microsoft Power Point “Used to show hierarchical relationships”

11. Sound Familiar? “It often seems as though we’re dealing with people who don’t understand what we’re trying to do and in a system that really doesn’t cater for resident controlled housing and co-operatives!”

12. What choice for tenants? • Large-scale direct state provision • One size fits all • Distant bureaucracies • Tenants have limited influence • Traditional/Transfer RSLs/ALMO • Commercially driven/growth focussed • Call-centre/remote delivery • Tenants have limited influence

13. The Square Peg • Being Tenant-led & community controlled • Being bottom-up • Co-operative values & principles • Being decentralised, democratic & human scale • Having a strong community focus

14. The Round Hole • ‘Trust the professional’ • Being top-down • Commercial and consumerist • Centralised and hierarchical • The bigger the better!

15. What the Corporation say “WATMOS has made good progress in establishing itself as an independent landlord with a strong executive management team and board…staff were enthusiastic and motivated, and residents were enthusiastic about the benefits of transfer.”

16. The Major Works Programme • Over £6.5 Million invested to date • Windows & doors – 500 homes • New bathrooms – 758 homes • New kitchens – 402 homes • External decoration – 802 homes

17. What the Corporation say “…the association has succeeded in establishing a strong board that provides strategic direction to the association and the individual TMOs and works well in partnership with the executive management team.”

18. What our Tenants say • 100% tenant survey during May & June 2004 • A whopping 67% response rate • 80% - 90% satisfaction ratings • Significant improvement since 2002 • Satisfaction up by an average of 20% • High level of satisfaction with customer service

19. What our Tenants say • High level of satisfaction with repairs service • Tenants clearly value local accessible services • WATMOS newsletter could be improved • New involvement options should be developed • Some concern about racial harassment

20. Our future direction • Major Strategic Review during 2004 • All parts of WATMOS Group involved • A focus on: • Our values and ethos • Internal and external relationships • Our role in the local housing market • Our image and profile

21. Our future direction • Getting the basics right • Democratic member control • Being organised on a human scale • Being local and accessible • Creating secure and pleasant places to live • Creating and maintaining strong communities

22. Our future direction • Volunteer social and personal development • Partnerships with like-minded organisations • Strengthening community controlled housing • Being a role model others will want to follow • Growth and future viability • Charitable status & the Co-operative Movement

23. Looking forward to a positive future!