New landlord option for Bristol council tenants
More than 1,200 council tenants in north Bristol are to be balloted on whether they want a new company – run by tenants – to manage their estates.
The move is fuelled by anger at what they say are inadequate services. They also claim they do not have an adequate say over how rent money is spent.
"We believe we can do a lot better job for tenants than the council does," says leading campaigner Tony Lewis.
Tenants often complain of botched repair work by the council, inefficient responses to calls and failure to tackle reported problems.
The new company could have a budget of more than £1.5 million a year.
It could be responsible not only for house repairs and maintenance, but also rent collection and control of anti- social behaviour.
The cash would come from the city council and its employees could end up being transferred to the new company, say campaigners.
They say it could in turn make some staff redundant in order to make savings to improve services.
Tenant management organisations (TMOs) were introduced by John Major's government in 1994, but none has ever been set up in Bristol.
As many as four could be launched over the next few years, affecting many of the city's 28,000 council tenants.
The first TMO would be based on the Horfield and Lockleaze areas if tenants give the go-ahead in a poll.
Others could follow in St Paul's and Easton (around 3,000 tenants), in Bedminster (for a similar number) and at Barton Hill, say leaders of the City of Bristol Tenants' Federation.
The drive to set up the Horfield and Lockleaze TMO – which would be known as Spirit Homes – follows dissatisfaction with the council's own services and anger at the demise of area housing committees (AHCs).
On the AHCs tenants used to have a say on how some of their rent money was spent on environmental improvements.
The new TMOs will set up companies led by boards of tenant members, who would regularly seek re-election.
They would be volunteer directors and would steer policy. The work itself would be carried out by employed staff and contractors.
Once the current group's leaders and the council are agreed on which powers are being handed over and the company is officially set up, a poll will be held, probably next January.
If a majority of those who take part back the idea, the TMO will start operating in April 2010.
"At least 260 places in England have already tried TMOs and the vast majority of them have been a success," said Mr Lewis, himself a tenant at Rodbourne Road, Manor Farm, Horfield.
He is secretary of the new group.
Single mother-of-four Cheryl Ann, of Tilling Road, is its chairwoman.
She told the Post: " The standard of the council's work is disgraceful. This is the last chance for tenants.
"I think we will be able to make a huge difference to people's lives. It will benefit the whole community."
A Bristol City Council spokeswoman said: "The council aims to deliver the best possible services within restrictive means. But it is keen to support the greater involvement of tenants in management of their homes at a level that is appropriate and meaningful for tenants and the council.
"Feedback from surveys carried out in 2007/08 show that Bristol City Council is providing a very good service to their tenants.
"The satisfaction of tenants with the overall service provided by the council has increased to 77 per cent – a performance comparable with large metropolitan and London borough authorities.
"Ninety per cent of anti-social behaviour reports are investigated and have an action plan. Nearly 100 per cent of urgent repairs are completed within government time limits, and 88 per cent of council homes are decent as per the decent homes standard.
"However, the level of funding is inadequate, and any TMO will inherit the same restrictions in delivering their service or services. The annual budget will come through the council.
"The legislation and how the transfer of services and employees will take place will be addressed closer to the time that a TMO is agreed.
"Bristol City Council looks forward to working further with tenant groups who progress down this route."
3 Comments
by Mike chappell, Redcliffe
Wednesday, January 07 2009, 3:15PM
“The problems the City Council has with funding of Housing and it¿s services has come from, in the main, central government housing policy and the fact that they take money back from council rent, this is called negative subsidy and will come to over £20 million being taken back to government in 2009-2010 (source Defend Council Housing) at the same time as pushing for improvements (decent homes standard)! Tenant Management Organisations (TMOs) will have exactly the same financial problems or worse as the Council - they will not for instance have the economies of scale that the City Council has to run 28000 homes. What also happens financially to the housing left behind after TMOs have taken a third of the Housing revenue and have also cost the Council rent account significant start-up costs - tenants are not aware that their homes and service improvements will be deferred to pay for TMOs! Individuals pushing for TMOs are being selfish to their own cause which will not be to the benefit all of Council Housing tenants and leaseholders.
If there are financial problems running a TMO it will not necessarily go back to the Council, especially if high debts have been built up, as in Lambeth Council (and £3million fraud) where many TMOs have been set-up and are now being closed down as the debt is being taken on by a Private Finance Initiative, that will put rents up to cover these debts and of course pay dividends to the Company involved! TMOs although they sound good in principle, only work well when there is a genuine consensus of tenants wanting one, normally a small scale initiative i.e. a block of flats, although again future proofing against stock transfer will not be possible. TMO Housing Boards, note not tenants individually, will inevitably have to look at the ownership of the Housing stock as they cannot stop stock transfer by the Council.
Those that chose to buy out the stock normally become Registered Social Landlords (RSL or Housing Associations|) - these have a dreadful history of not involving tenants and higher rents and less secure tenure. Some are now pushing (Places for People) to float as PLCs for the benefit of a few individuals who set-up the organisation. The push for TMOs has come from on the whole a few disgruntled individuals and is not grass roots based, these individuals know that they will be moving down the road of privatising Housing Stock via RSL or Arms Length management Organisations (ALMOs) which are actually based on TMOs! Most tenants are happy having a secure tenancy from Bristol City Council, which is scrutinised by elected Councillors, as a Landlord. We all want services improved, not cut. Like Housing services BCC's services in general are good in some areas and dreadfully poor in others (i.e. Street cleaning). Make BCC more accountable in providing these Housing services, put pressure through your elected councillors and MPs for improvement, do not go the TMO root which risks loosing everything and letting BCC off the hook. There has been major problems in the Private Housing market which has up until now been the catalyst for change in the Social Housing market - this is not the time to jeopardise the security and good value of a Council Home or move to an RSL, a move that would be welcomed by many at BCC who have come from RSLs in the first place.”
by thomas frith cooke, Bristol Council Tenant, Redcliffe
Wednesday, January 07 2009, 2:12PM
“TMO¿s - TENANT MANAGEMENT ORGANISATIONS.
A REPLY TO EVENING POST ARTICLE 6TH JAN 09
Tenant Management Organisations. (TMO¿s) are being set up in parts of Bristol, and are a slap in the Face of the democratic views of Bristol Council Tenants.
The Bristol City Cabinet member for Homes and the Director of Housing have said, ¿Bristol Tenants have already voted 3 out of 4 to retain the (housing) stock under Council ownership & management¿. In 2005 Tenants also voted AGAINST, a transfer to, (ALMO¿s) Arms Length Management Organisations, (PFI¿s) Private Finance Initiative, or (RSL¿s) Social Landlords.
The housing workforce also voted 3 out of 4 not to transfer. Although, it is said, TMO¿s could ¿hire & fire¿.
The Bristol City Council, Housing Management Board meeting on the 9th April 08 was told that a ¿TMO (Tenant Management Organisation) is a Company Limited by Guarantee¿. So is an ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation) that the Council tenants of Bristol have already voted against. Tenants on the management would represented the company, not tenants, and part of the meetings could be closed to the public.
TMO¿s would break up the housing stock of Bristol into smaller units. These TMO¿s would make it easier to privatise/transfer Bristol Council Housing stock, against the wishes of Bristol Council tenants. As the Director of Housing said at the Housing Management Board meeting, 14th May 08, ¿The TMO does not have the power to stop a transfer...¿ and ¿It may also generate its own transfer proposals...¿
[Bristol Housing Management Board Minutes 9th April 08 and 30th July 08]
Once a TMO has been fully set up, they could stay as they are, but most, become part of a bigger ALMO, PFI or Social landlord. [TMO web site] They don¿t go back to the Council.
TMO¿s in Lambeth led to a PFI (Private Finance Initiative).
e mail 27th OCT 08 Thomas>>
The TMO where I live in Myatts Field North, Lambeth, encouraged tenants to go for a (PFI) (Private Finance Initiative, (55% voted in favour), which is now resulting in the TMO having to self- destruct because the PFI contractor and Lambeth council do not want a TMO in place when the PFI starts - they consider it a financial risk. Management will be through a PFI consortium. >> Stephen 27th Oct 08
They used TMO¿s to democratically get rid of democracy.
There are now no democratically elected tenants, within the Bristol City Housing structure, and this has resulted in tenants promoting TMO's. Up to 2007, tenants could be elected to Area Housing Committees and they were there to represent the democratic interests of Council tenants. No one from any political party voted against taking away this democratic involvement.. All involved tenants have now been selected by Council officials.
We should bring back ¿DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED TENANTS¿ to the Council Landlord Structure again.
tom cooke 15 francombe hse bs1 6tg”
by Philip Morris, Barton Hill
Monday, January 05 2009, 10:36PM
“They, the Council would say ""The satisfaction of tenants with the overall service provided by the council has increased to 77 per cent ¿ a performance comparable with large metropolitan and London borough authorities.
"Ninety per cent of anti-social behaviour reports are investigated and have an action plan. Nearly 100 per cent of urgent repairs are completed within government time limits, " would'ent they ?
In reality there is a diffrent world out here. For intrance a tenant and his drug buying clients was recorded by the C.C.T.V. Operators kicking open the security gate to the block of flats 160 times ! Is that dealing with ASB I have asked the question why were they counted 160 times ? and at what cost, i.e. manhours ? If any one doubts this fact I can supply a Bristol City Council 'Newsletter'
The Council has a policy of doing away with caretakers in all the flats and just having a small team to cover an area.
As most of the remaining 'Area Offices' are to close soon, what eyes and earss will the Council have on the estates ?
Oh everything in the garden
is wonderful, or so the Council will state, come and ask tenants for the true pictudre.
Good Luck to Manor Farm, as well as Easton and Barton Hill who are also planning to go along the TMO road.”