The Homes and Communities Agency has now published the updated standard following the move to deregulate housing associations in April.
It consulted on the new standard in the spring this year but was unable to publish until the results of the general election were known
The regulator requires housing providers to consult with tenants if they were considering changing their landlord or changing the management arrangements of their homes.
Previously housing providers had to get the regulator’s consent before disposing of properties and as part of this process the regulator would check that an adequate tenant consultation had been carried out. However, this disposal consent was dropped in April as part of the government’s deregulatory package for the sector.
In response, the regulator decided the Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard needed to be made “more explicit and strengthened” to ensure it was fully understood by housing providers.
………..and here is some advice from the regulator’s Julian Ashby on the Grenfell tragedy:
“The regulator and many others have been clear from the start that the best way to prevent Grenfell happening again is to look carefully at the long term and learn the lessons in a sober and considered manner.
In the short term that means providers should co-operate with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and other statutory agencies to address any weaknesses in existing stock as the lessons of Grenfell become clear.”