Press Release

Regulator helps protect tenants’ homes and raise the standard of services

Thursday 5 November 2009   Ref: TSA 53/09

Protecting more than eight million social housing tenants’ homes and ensuring the financial stability of the housing association sector during the economic downturn, which has seen high street banks facing collapse and house builders in mothball, has been the focus of attention by the new social housing regulator since it launched nearly 12 months ago.

In its annual report and accounts published today, the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) sets out its key achievements of its first 300 days.

Commenting on the work to protect tenants' homes and attract private finance into housing, Chief Executive Peter Marsh said, “We made it clear from the start that viability would be a key priority for the TSA in our first year. Despite being launched during the most challenging economic conditions for housing associations, at the end of our first ten months not a single provider has faced insolvency and not a single home has been put at risk.

"We have helped ensure that the £32.7 billion of taxpayers’ money and £34.1 billion of private finance invested in housing associations remains safe and secure. Most importantly we have seen over £7 billion of new private investment in housing associations this year which has funded the building of new homes and the decent homes programme."

Peter Marsh said the TSA had already made significant progress in making sure all social housing tenants would receive the very highest standards of service in the future.

"Our new approach to local standards being developed by landlords with their tenants is already being piloted from Middlesbrough to Bristol. We've commissioned 50 Short Notice Inspections to identify actions to improves services - from tenant involvement to gas safety - and we're on course to launch our standards for social housing across local authorities and housing associations from April next year.

"I'd like to thank tenants, landlords, lenders and our other partners - particularly the Homes and Communities Agency and the Audit Commission - for their support and contribution during our first 300 days."

The annual report covers 1 December 2008 – 31 March 2009. The full report and “Our first 300 days” are available at www.tenantservicesauthority.org

Ends.

For media enquiries, contact the press office on 020 7393 2094/2118/2115 or by email pressoffice@tsa.gsx.gov.uk

Notes to editors:

1) The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) is the independent regulator for affordable housing. It launched on 1 December 2008 and currently regulates housing associations. From spring 2010, subject to Parliamentary approval, the TSA will also regulate other providers of social housing, such as local authorities and arm’s-length management organisations.

2) The TSA is consulting with social housing tenants across five million households and their landlords, as well as stakeholders, to develop new standards to improve services for tenants. The statutory consultation will begin in mid November.

3) Initially the TSA will operate under the legal powers of the Housing Corporation while it consults on the powers set out in the 2008 Housing and Regeneration Act.