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Housing Minister empowers Community Gateway approach
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| Thursday 20th March 2008 |
Caroline Flint, Housing Minister visited Watford Community Housing Trust on Thursday 14th Feb 2008. Ms Flints visit was to learn about and claim a stake in the unique Community Gateway structure, the first of its kind in the South of England. During the visit Ms Flint had the opportunity to meet the Gateway Committee, tenants of Watford, who volunteer their time and members of staff of The Trust.
Christine Blackett, Chair of the Gateway Committee and tenant for over 40 years discussed the importance of tenant involvement and the value of community empowerment. There was a strong emphasis on the issue of building community capacity in the role of housing organisations. The Community Gateway model works to develop a relationship between tenants, leaseholders and staff, to provide quality improvements to homes, housing services and local neighbourhoods that tenants want and others aspire to. Ms Flint mentioned how government initiatives such as bringing agencies into communities would work well with the Gateway approach.
Ms Flint was positive and sincere when she stated that people are learning all the time and that people will get involved. Ms Flint also commented that whilst engagement of tenants is important, and essentially is what will make the difference in this organisation, how do you empower that?
“How do you reach beyond the people who sign up to be members and go to meetings? How do you get everyone involved?” says Ms Flint.
Just five months after transfer and with no real membership campaign in place yet, over a quarter of tenants have already signed up.
A Community Gateway involvement is enshrined into the rules and ethos of the organisation and the money needed to deliver it is guaranteed in its 30 year business plan. Our tenant and leaseholder members are able to elect tenants to sit on the Board, elect a ‘Gateway Committee’ to represent them, vote on key decisions and influence the way the Trust is run so that it meets their needs and aspirations – now and in the future.
As well as involving tenants and leaseholders in the running of the Trust, as a Community Gateway the Trust is investing in the local communities it serves, to encourage the people living in and around its homes to have their say and get actively involved in making their local neighbourhoods friendlier and better places to live.
Local people know what the local issues are and can come up with lasting solutions to local issues and problems. The Trust’s programme of Community Options Studies (starting in April) will help bring people together to make ‘neighbourhood visions’ and local action plans to help get things done, and local residents will decide how the Trust’s £9 million Estate Challenge Fund is spent.
Ms Flint was also grilled by Diane Lee, chair of the Board and tenant on the controversial comments Ms Flint made about social Housing. Ms Lee reminding the Minister of the stigma surrounding social housing and how The Trust wants to be a beacon for the Gateway Model, and hopes the government will find ways to support The Trust going forward. |
| Posted by Kim for Watford Community Housing Trust |
Further reading:  http://www.wcht.org.uk/department/view_story.php?dept=61&ID=376&menuSec... |
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