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

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 enables local authority tenants 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 projects to support the statutory Right to Manage is given in the Right to manage grant guide, including how to make an application for Right to Manage funding and submit a grant claim, together with the relevant forms required at each stage of the process. Tenants of housing associations are not eligible to apply for funding under the Right to Manage grant programme.

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 will be considered subject to the availability of funds. 

The priorities for the 2007-08 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
• Right to manage grant guide
• Neighbourhood Studies
• Tenant-led stock options

While the Tenant Empowerment Programme is specifically for local authority tenants, the training and capacity building element provides a wide range of training events and conferences which are open to both local authority and housing association tenants and residents.  

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 questions on this guidance, contact the TEP Administrator at the Housing Corporation's Cambridge office, or email tenantempowerment@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk.