Shapps - 'TSA Made Little Difference on the Ground'

Grant Shapps has announced the abolition of the TSA, saying the regulatory body made "little difference on the ground with far too many tenants still frustrated by their lack of real power to drive up standards".  Communities and Local Government (CLG) is aiming to preserve the TSA's "vital" economic regulation functions in a new streamlined Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), whilst scrapping tasks considered unnecessary by Ministers - such as "excessive data gathering".  The TSA move, CLG says, will put local people in "real" control of driving up the quality of social housing with their landlords, and keep regulation's primary focus on ensuring that lenders have confidence to invest in social housing. Under the plans, England's eight million social housing tenants will receive "strengthened powers" to ensure that their landlords provide quality housing and are held to account when problems arise. CLG says landlords will be expected to support tenant panels - or equivalent bodies - in order to give tenants the opportunity to scrutinise the services being offered and to be involved in resolving disputes.  In a "new era of transparency", CLG says landlords will need to agree with their tenants what information they need about performance so that tenants can effectively scrutinise performance. And there will be a new role for tenants' representatives - local councillors, MPs and tenant panels - in standing up for the rights of tenants and driving up housing standards. Full details of the review of social housing regulations will be published next week.  Details of how the Government plans to streamline the HCA will be announced shortly. It was also confirmed that the HCA will be reformed to operate as a smaller enabling and investment body, with its London functions devolved to the Mayor.  Outgoing HCA chief executive Sir Bob Kerslake, said: "This is an opportunity to harness the valuable synergies that exist between the investment and regulatory functions. However, this new regulatory role will need to be run as a distinct function of the HCA, within the context of a smaller, more streamlined agency.  While tenant issues will be addressed at a local level under a new system, the Agency will want to engage tenant organisations in the delivery of its new regulatory function.  We will continue to work closely with the TSA over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition of the TSA’s vital economic regulatory functions to the HCA."  Read more on the CLG website by clicking on the logo below.