The Chartered Institute of Housing is calling on the government to guarantee that funds are available to councils wanting to transfer their housing stock to community gateway associations.

Under this transfer model, tenants are shareholders in a community gateway association, which is bound to them by a contract.

The CIH is worried about inadequate funding for councils that want to pursue community gateway as part of a stock options appraisal, the deadline for which is July 2005.

Tenants in Preston voted for a community gateway association last December. Also in December, tenants in West Norfolk voted for transfer to a new registered social landlord with powers to set itself up along the same lines.

Both councils used the ODPM’s Innovation into Action funding to make the case for this type of transfer, with Preston receiving a grant of £100,000 to support its programme.

But new applications for Innovation into Action funds are not being accepted because the scheme is now under review by the ODPM.

The CIH said that without such resources, other authorities would not be able to follow the community gateway model.

CIH policy adviser John Perry said: “The model is an excellent way for tenants to have a real say in the future running of their housing and it is vital that – having shown that it can gain tenants’ support – funding is in place so that authorities can use the model.”

Source

Housing Today