Opinion: Prescott's announcements are welcome but key questions remain

Following July's spending review, deputy prime minister John Prescott called for a "step change" in housing. New resources are on offer in exchange for new processes and improved performance and delivery.

Now, the government has decided to create a single housing inspectorate, bringing Housing Corporation staff together with those in the Audit Commission under the latter's management.

These decisions are important, not least because the co-location of regulation and investment functions is retained. The government has recognised that it needs a central agency to ensure consistency of policy and delivery through regions to localities and neighbourhoods, and in doing so it has recognised the importance of working in partnership with housing associations.

Also, using the Audit Commission as the agent for inspection will reinforce the importance of effective regulation by the corporation to support the delivery of quality services by housing associations.

But three key issues remain.

First, delivery will only be effective if there is an emphasis on support for good practice and the elimination of unnecessary bureaucracy. When bringing inspection together, it is essential that overlapping activities are eliminated and streamlined procedures set in stone. But when it comes to raising standards, count me in. Our sector has a role to play in supporting good practice and we have to ensure that our performance leads change.

Second, the issue of independence. In recent weeks the government has produced two reports which emphasised the need to respect and value independence: the cross-cutting review of the role of the voluntary and community sector and the Strategy Unit's review of regulation and law affecting charities and voluntary organisations.

It is therefore extremely important that the new arrangements explicitly guarantee our sector's independence and that they are not allowed to become the first stage in its eventual removal. Of course, we must always remember that our independence is for a purpose – the effective delivery of housing and services to those who need them and bringing skills and resources in to support and sustain successful communities and neighbourhoods.

Third, we can achieve both these objectives by persuading the government to establish a Stakeholder Forum for housing. Working with the National Housing Federation, the Local Government Association, the Chartered Institute of Housing, lenders and tenants' bodies, there is an opportunity for the Audit Commission, the Corporation and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to focus their efforts on delivering the step change for housing. Each of the organisations can hold each other to account for sustaining strategic approaches, minimising bureaucracy and sustaining the independence of our sector.

A better future for housing involves a new partnership between government and delivery agencies. We should make a start now.