Welcome to the section of the Housing Corporation’s website that deals with all aspects of the Tenant Empowerment Programme.  Here you will find general information on the programme and guidance on the type of projects that are eligible for funding. 

Please note that, as a result of new legislation and guidance, the Tenant Empowerment Programme has recently been updated requiring us to develop new materials and forms. As a result some of the information on this section of the website may be incomplete while new materials are under development.  If you can't find what you're looking for, please contact us through tenantempowerment@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk

The Tenant Empowerment Programme (previously known as Section 16 grant) was established to support the Government’s housing aims of increasing the effectiveness of housing management and improving the quality of life of residents living on local authority estates. 

The Tenant Empowerment Programme now enables local authority and housing association tenants and residents to access independent advice, training and information directly. This helps them to challenge, influence or control how housing services are delivered to their communities.  However, it does not fund mainstream tenant participation activity, which is the responsibility of the landlord.

Guidance on funding for tenant management projects is currently being revised and will be available shortly.  

The role of the Corporation

The Corporation’s powers under section 27A of the Housing Act 1996 were extended to permit it to give grants to persons other than Registered Social Landlords for purposes similar to those in section 429A of the Housing Act 1985.  From 6 April 2006 operational responsibility for the delivery of the Tenant Empowerment Programme was transferred to the Corporation from the department for Communities and Local Government (CLG).  CLG continues to have policy responsibility for the programme.

Availability of funding

The budget for the Tenant Empowerment Programme is set by Ministers each year.  Applications for funding for national and regional tenant bodies or tenant management grants will be considered, subject to the availability of funds. 

The priorities for the 2008-09 Tenant Empowerment Programme have been set by Ministers and further details are obtained through the links below:

• Tenant training and capacity building
• National and regional tenant bodies
• NEW Tenant management grants
• Neighbourhood studies
• Tenant-led stock options

Innovation into Action (IiA)

Tenant Empowerment Programme funding was provided to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) to run the IiA programme.  This five year programme funded over fifty projects throughout England to develop radical or new ways to involve council tenants in the management of their homes.

Funding is no longer available for further projects but there is an extensive portfolio of existing and innovative projects, which tenants and their landlords (council or housing association) can either implement directly, or can draw from to suit local circumstances.

Further information is available from the website www.innovationintoaction.org.

More information

For more information on the programme or if you have any questions on the Programme, please contact the CRMI Programmes Team at the Housing Corporation at tenantempowerment@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk.