Housing Minister Iain Wright has unveiled its board members for the Tenant Services Authority and Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
Julie Fawcett and Dennis Rees, tenants of housing association and local authority managed homes, join Anthony Mayer as chair on the Tenant Services Authority board.
Other members on the board include: Julian Ashby, Ashby is a director of The Financial Information Company and a freelance consultant and a contributor to the Cave Report; Jim Coulter, a board member of the Audit Commission and lead member on housing and regeneration; Pauleen Lane, deputy chair of English Partnerships, a board member of the Coal Authority and an elected member of Trafford MBC; Sheila Drew Smith, has been a member of the Housing Corporation board since December 2002 and chairs its Regulation and Registration Committee; and Donald Hoodless who is a board member of the Housing Corporation and chair of its Audit and Risk Committee.
The board was set up to ensure tenants have a stronger say in how their homes are managed and will have powers to take action when service is inadequate.
Wright said that for the first time tenants in social housing ‘will have a voice at the heart of government’.
He said: ‘The board of the Tenants Services Authority will ensure improving services for tenants, and making sure they have a strong voice, is at the heart of the work of the Authority.
The board of the HCA, which is the body driving housing and regeneration in England, consists of Robert Napier as chair, Kate Barker, Professor Peter Roberts, Bob Lane, Candy Atherton, Margaret Fay, Shaukat Moledina, Don Wood, Ian Robertson and Dru Vesty.
‘The HCA has a board that will be fundamental in steering the new agency and helping it drive forward the Government’s housing and regeneration programme for England,’ said Wright.
The Homes and Communities Agency combines the regeneration programmes of English Partnerships, the investment programme of the Housing Corporation, the Academy of Sustainable Communities and some delivery functions from Communities and Local Government.