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Chopping and changing the housing minister sends the wrong message
If the government wants to show people it takes housing seriously, the reshuffle is the wrong way about it, writes Martin Hilditch
Just last month Dominic Raab said he took on the housing brief with “a measure of trepidation” because “we seem to get through ministers almost as quickly as England get through football managers”.
Even by the job’s mayfly-like standards Mr Raab’s stint has been short – truly we can remember him as the Sam Allardyce of housing ministers.
All the chopping and changing has brought the usual mix of frustration and wry amusement from the sector – and betting has opened on how many more housing ministers David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, can see off as he works his notice before retiring.
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It’s worth mentioning, however, that in a few weeks’ time the government will be publishing its Social Housing Green Paper (unless that has been derailed by the latest spin of the ministerial merry-go-round).
This, remember, is the culmination of a national conversation with tenants and residents, which the government pledged to use to find out “how tenants are treated [and] whether they are listened to”.
In the space of less than a year, two housing ministers have now been despatched from Whitehall to do the listening. Alok Sharma (remember him?) in particular was badged as the government’s key figure in these conversations and the individual who would make sure concerns raised by tenants were heard right at the heart of government.
A third minister, Kit Malthouse, who has had no involvement in the process at all, must now put the finishing touches to the final product, using insights gleaned second and third-hand from his predecessors and officials in his department.
If the government wanted the national conversation to show how seriously it takes housing and tenants’ concerns, the chopping and changing sends out entirely the wrong message. As Jenny Osbourne, chief executive of Tpas, stated this week: “Housing deserves better than this. Tenants deserve better.”
It’s worth remembering that the green paper will look to redress the balance of power between residents and social landlords. Before he reshuffled off, Mr Raab gave some insights into what lies ahead.
At Housing 2018, at the end of June, he told delegates that the government will be looking to give the regulator “more teeth” in this area and wants to “empower residents as consumers and give them the voice and ability to hold landlords to account”.
"The green paper will look to redress the balance of power between residents and social landlords"
Over the coming months (again, if the green paper doesn’t slip) there will be much focus on how landlords engage and involve the tenants and residents who live in their homes.
This is a positive development and certainly an area which is long overdue scrutiny. If nothing else, the mood music is clear, with Mr Raab stating: “While most social housing landlords treat their people, their residents, with dignity and respect, too many still have not.”
At least the ministerial carousel has provided them with some learning.
If, in the months ahead, landlords are looking around for the right way to involve tenants, and convince people they are taking this agenda seriously, it would probably be best if they didn’t follow government’s lead.
Martin Hilditch, managing editor, Inside Housing