National Tenant Voice

The National Tenant Voice (NTV) is a UK body which was set up to ensure that Social Housing tenants have a say in shaping national policy on housing issues.^[1] The quango will be abolished under current plans by the British government as part of its 2010 economic and governmental reforms (2010 UK quango reforms).

Background

The NTV is a Non-departmental public body of the UK Government and was set up in February 2010. It is made up of a National Tenant Council (NTC) of 50 tenants and a Board of 15. Nine of these Board members are drawn from the NTC and 6 are independent members.

The NTV has four main roles:^[2]

• advocacy – helping social tenants collectively to speak for themselves as a distinct group in society and to put their views to government and other bodies on any issue affecting social tenants

• research – identifying the impact that policies will have on social tenants and discovering the views of a wide range of tenants on policy issues

• communication – providing good information to tenants and developing a two-way dialogue with them

• support for the representative tenants’ movement – to help it to develop and strengthen

History

On 17 January 2007, Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced a major-shake up of the UK government's arrangements for social housing.

In the following months, Professor Martin Cave, Director of the Centre for Management under Regulation at University of Warwick, led the most comprehensive review of English housing regulation for 30 years. Reporting in June, the Cave Review recommended that a new regulator be set up, separating the regulation and investment responsibilities of the Housing Corporation.^[3]

Following Professor Cave's report, the Department of Communities and Local Government set up a project group under the independent chairmanship of Professor Steve Hillditch^[4]

Following a significant period of public consultation, the Project Group published its report 'Citizens of Equal Worth'^[2] which outlined the proposals for how the National Tenant Voice should be set up and operate. The UK Government accepted all the recommendations of 'Citizens of Equal Worth' in full and the NTV was set up in February 2010

Key Personnel

Chair - Michael Gelling OBE

Chief Executive - Richard Crossley

References

1. ^ "National Tenant Voice". Department of Communities and Local Government. http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingmanagementcare/tenantparticipationempowerment/nationaltenantvoice/. Retrieved 7 June 2010. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ ^{a b} "Citizens of Equal Worth report". http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/projectgroupreport.pdf. Retrieved 7 June 2010. 
3. ^ "Every Tenant Matters". Department of Communities and Local Government. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/everytenantmatters. Retrieved 7 June 2010. 
4. ^ "Citizens of Equal Worth". Department of Communities and Local Government. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/citizensequalworth/. Retrieved 7 June 2010. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• News article about members of the National Tenant Voice Board (Inside Housing, Feb 2010) [1]