22 July 2005
Ministers are failing to show housing associations the trust they deserve, in spite of their strong track record of building successful communities, says the new chief executive of the National Housing Federation.
Speaking exclusively to Public Finance, David Orr said registered social landlords felt under threat – in particular by the government's decision to allow developers and other non-RSLs to bid for social housing grant.
Whereas RSLs have a long experience of building homes and managing neighbourhoods, there is no evidence that private developers are up to the job, said Orr, who took over at the NHF on July 1.
'The government is more interested in seeing housing associations as agents rather than as partners,' he said. 'I would like to see the government celebrating our success. Given the work that we have done, it should start with an assumption of trust.'
Orr accused the government of pursuing a 'narrow efficiency agenda' that could result in lower tenant satisfaction and homes that are built on the cheap. 'I have no brief to argue for inefficiency,' he added. 'But is it an efficiency saving to provide a poorer service?'
Orr's position is made more difficult by the fact that some RSLs teamed up with developers to bid for grants under a recent £200m Housing Corporation pilot scheme.
They are likely to do so again when far larger sums are available next year through the corporation's National Affordable Housing Programme.
But he insisted that associations were merely being adaptable and that the federation had no problem with RSLs setting up unregistered subsidiaries to increase their chances of gaining social housing grant.
Orr stressed that he hopes to develop a good relationship with ministers but would not be afraid to 'ruffle a few feathers' and highlight issues that were hindering the work of RSLs.
'A strong relationship deals well with constructive criticism,' he said.
A profile of David Orr will appear in next week's Public Finance
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