Housing associations to get annual BME league table

The Housing Corporation announced the change as part of its BME action plan 2005-8 last week.

The data gathered will show how associations perform in terms of governing body membership, staff and lettings. The corporation emphasised that associations would not be set targets but that the data would allow associations to compare themselves directly to their peers and make changes where necessary.

Alistair Jackson, head of policy for the corporation, said: “Clearly we would hope we would encourage associations to look at where they stand in the table and whether they feel they are doing well enough.

“We already collect data on these issues but what we are proposing to do is bring it all together in one place and publish it so you can look across the piece. At the moment, somebody wanting that information would have to look at data for each individual association.”

The exact layout of the table has yet to be decided but associations could be split into different sections depending on their size or type.

Other key parts of the plan will use model development and sales agreements to ensure smaller specialist and BME associations take ownership or management of stock developed on their behalf by other associations. A Housing Corporation study, published in June last year, revealed that 54% of BME associations were managing stock pending transfer to their ownership.