Letters

WE MUST SEE OFF TENANT BODY CUTS

15 May 2009

Southwark housing management want to shrink-fit the Resident Involvement service into playing a more politicised role, with grave consequences for 150-plus Tenants’ & Residents’ Associations. 

Currently each Area Resident Involvement team comprises a Manager and one or more R.I. Officers. Both grades have regular contact with TRAs, but the 'RIOs' especially perform a multifaceted brief, attending meetings and supporting TRAs.  

Management wants to slash 27% of posts and dump the R.I. function onto Housing Officers - theoretically supported by back office staff. This is a recipe for chaos and conflicts of interest. HOs perform nuts-and-bolts housing management duties, while R.I. staff have a distinct communications-development role. 

The sixteen remaining R.I. staff would be placed in three bureaucratic sections - under which, according to leaked papers, TRAs will be made to "understand their responsibilities". The intention seems to be the future R.I. 'service' would remould TRAs as cheerleaders for council policies from the independent bodies highlighting service delivery
issues they are today.    

The independent tenant-managed Tenant Fund and Southwark Group of Tenants Organisations could be next for the chop. Tenant Council and SGTO have rejected the R.I. Review. Area Forums and TRAs must rally to help defeat these cuts and political attacks on our independence.

Lionel Wright, Tenant Council delegate from Borough & Bankside (personal capacity).

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