Housing Futures Customer Group

In order to assist the Council throughout it's Options Appraisal on the future of Council housing in the borough a tenants' consultation group was set up in early 2007. Following that the Housing Futures Customer Group met with officers of the Council and Tristar Homes on a regular basis.

The group was initially formed from membership of existing tenant and resident groups, however, other members joined the group as its continued it's work on the Options Appraisal and the subsequent planning stages of the proposed stock transfer.

The Housing Futures Customer Group has been regularly advised as it completed it's work by Engage Associates as Independent Tenants Advisers (ITA). Engage were chosen and appointed as ITA by the member of the group themselves.

In October 2008, the group produced a report and presentation which was given to senior Council officers and Councillor Steve Nelson (Cabinet member for Housing and Community Safety), which gave their views on the options available. The groups findings were noted in the Options Appraisal Cabinet report and a copy of the group's report can be obtained from the Council's Housing Futures team (see below for contact details).

The group then went on to continue its work into the next stages of the options appraisal, looking at the types of landlord that would be considered if a stock transfer was to go ahead. Representatives from the Housing Futures Customer Group worked on this part of the appraisal with Local Councillors and staff representatives, in a Joint Reference Group.

The Joint Reference Group made a recommendation that their preferred partner to which a stock transfer of homes could be made was a "new -style" Tristar Homes operating as a not-for-profit housing association, not as an Arm's Length Management Organisation as it does at present. A recommendation was also made by the group that the new-style Tristar Homes should operate independently, but form a new housing group with another local independent housing association - Housing Hartlepool.

A report, including these recommendations was put to the Council's Cabinet on 14th September 2009 when Cabinet gave approval to proceed.

The group also played a major role in the production of what is known as an "Offer Document", delivered to every tenant in the Borough in March 2010. This document included all the information tenants needed to make an informed decision in the ballot on stock transfer which took place in May 2010.

Members of the group have now joined the Tristar Homes Customer Panel which is working with Tristar Homes staff in developing the new tenant involvement structure that will be introduced when transfer takes place.

Minutes of past Housing Futures Customer Group meetings can be obtained by contacting the Housing Futures team on the Council's Free phone information line on: 0800 432 0891 or e-mail housing.futures@stockton.gov.uk