Housing Corporation News Release

Housing Corporation consults on improvement efficiency proposals for Right to Manage programme

04/10/06       Media contact: Sandra White 0207 393 2094             Ref:99/06

The Housing Corporation has today launched a consultation paper on its proposals to improve the efficiency of grant administration relating to the Right to Manage (RTM) grant programme.

Key proposals include:

• all grant applications to be made on-line;

• right to manage grants to be paid subject to the achievement of milestones. These milestones would be specified at the point of original grant approval;

• allowing grant applications to be submitted at any point during the year according to the progress made by each applicant group and tenant management organisation (TMO).

The proposals do not recommend any policy changes.

Housing Corporation Chief Executive, Jon Rouse said: “Our key aim is to simplify and streamline the RTM process making it much more accessible. We want it to be easier to make bids and reduce the amount of time it takes for decisions to be made.

“We are keen to hear from individual tenants, housing associations and local authorities.”

Copies of the consultation document are available on the Corporation’s website at www.housingcorp.gov.uk.

Comments can be sent to kurshida.mirza@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk or RTM Grant administration, Kurshida Mirza. Policy Manger (Involvement), Housing Corporation, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7BN.

The Closing date for comments is Wednesday  3 January 2007.

Ends.
 

Note to editors:

• The Right to Manage (RTM) grant system has run for the past 20 years under the policy guidance and day-to-day administration of DCLG to enable tenants to assume a degree of influence as to how their homes are managed, as part of the wider Tenant Empowerment Programme (TEP).  The programme has largely been successful in promoting tenant management schemes.

• From April 2006 the Housing Corporation took over the administration of the RTM grant programme, although policy responsibility for the programme remains with DCLG.  As part of its commitment to continuous improvement the Housing Corporation has been reviewing the way RTM grant is administered in order to streamline the application and payment processes.  In order to explore the scope and options for streamlining the Corporation commissioned external consultants (IRIS Consulting) to carry out an independent evaluation of the options and organisational implications.  IRIS Consulting conducted their review in the summer of 2006 and the proposals set out in this consultation document reflect the results from their evaluation. 

• The Housing Corporation is the Government agency responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating over 1,500 housing associations across England.  Its biggest ever investment programme of £3.9 billion for 2006-08 will fund 84,000 homes;  49,000 of these will be for affordable rent, and 35,000 will be for affordable sale through the Government's new HomeBuy initiative, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.