15/09/05 Media Contact: Robert Davies 020 7393 2160 Ref: 70/05

Sector urged to do more to drive stock transfer to Black and Minority Ethnic associations

The transfer of Local Authority homes to Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) housing associations has not been a priority and more should be done to ensure the growth of specialist BME housing providers, according to a Housing Corporation funded report published today.

BME Housing Associations and Stock Transfers, by consultants Campbell Tickell, makes a raft of recommendations to help increase the number of homes owned or managed by BME associations, via stock transfer. More than one million council homes have transferred to housing associations since the late 1980s, yet hardly any -- either directly or via mainstream associations -- have gone to specialist BME housing providers.

Housing Corporation chief executive, Jon Rouse, welcomed the report's findings, following publication of the Corporation's updated BME Action Plan earlier this year:

"As this report shows, stock transfer can make a real contribution to the continued growth of BME Associations, and is particularly valuable in areas of significant ethnic diversity. Similarly, including specialist associations at every stage can bring many benefits to stock transfer programmes.

"I welcome any initiative which puts the effectiveness and continued growth of BME associations at the top of the agenda."

The report recommends action across the entire affordable housing sector, including:

For the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister -- a directive that BME associations should be given the first opportunity to 'win over' tenants in stock transfer areas where the BME population comprises one-third or more of the total population.
For local authorities -- an obligation to adopt and implement BME housing strategies, and to involve BME associations in all strategic housing decision-making.
For the Housing Corporation -- a championing of BME associations' success, as well as a race equality impact assessment of its Partnering investment programme.

BME Associations, for their part, need to collaborate more to make partnerships in stock transfer as easy as possible, being clear as to what they can offer in meeting local BME needs, the report continues.

Commenting in advance of the report's launch, author Greg Campbell said: "Some BME associations have grown significantly, but as a whole growth has been too little and too slow, and the one factor which could have made a real difference -- stock transfer from local authorities -- has been almost totally lacking.

"This has been a real missed opportunity for both the sector as a whole and for BME associations themselves. Nevertheless, it is never too late to start and if this report's recommendations are followed, then I believe we will see the necessary improvements happening."

The report will be formally launched at a special session at the National Housing Federation's annual conference on Thursday 15 September in Hall 7B, 5-15-6.15. Copies of the report will be available at that time or from the Housing Corporation's website, www.housingcorp.gov.uk.

Jon Rouse will be available for press comment on stand A50 on Thursday 15th September, 2.45-3.15pm.

Ends.

Notes to editors:

1. BME Housing Associations and Stock Transfers was grant-funded via the Corporation's Innovation and Good Practice (IGP) Programme, and supported by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

2. Speakers at the launch session are as follows:
Steve Douglas, Deputy Chief Executive, Housing Corporation
Anil Singh, Chief Executive, Manningham HA;
Cym D'Souza, Chief Executive, Arawak HA;
John Brewster, Chief Executive Labo HA;
and Christine Wark, Procurement Director, Sadeh Lok HG.

3. The report bases its findings on four pilot studies (themselves funded under the IGP Programme), as well as good practice in other transfer