Rebranded sector must 'stand up' for tenants

This warning came at last week's conference in response to a presentation by branding expert Wally Olins of "Housing's Better Future" – a project to reposition housing associations as "neighbourhood service providers".

Brighton Housing Trust chief executive Jenny Backwell said the rebrand would not be effective unless the sector "stood up" for its tenants. She said: "If we devalue our tenants by saying they are dicey people who need probationary tenancies, then it is no good rebranding the product. I have been told Wally Olins was already aware of that but it wasn't in the presentation. We need to deal honestly with the difficulties and have a robust defence of the other tenants."

Peter Walters, chief executive of English Churches Housing Group, praised Olins' knowledge of the sector but added: "My only slight worry was when he said housing should be for more than just our traditional client groups.

"We should be careful not to move from the reality that social housing will be providing housing for low-income groups and the brand should reflect that."

Tim Arthur, chief executive of Nucleus Housing Group, saw the rebrand as "a good opportunity to ask ourselves what we really do … and expand our horizons".

We need to deal honestly with the difficulties

Jenny Backwell, Brighton Housing Trust

Anchor Trust chief executive John Belcher said: "The concept is a good one but only time will tell whether organisations can actually deliver it."

Responding to fears that some associations would not be able to provide neighbourhood services, Riverside Group chief executive Deborah Shackleton said the plans left room for a range of roles.

She said: "Our common aim is about improving people's lives. Some may do it by simply being good landlords and some may do it by being an intermediary in the neighbourhood. What Olins has described is a broad regeneration role; something that Riverside is engaging in already."