Regional Networks Newsletter: Spring 2022

How the Regional Networks represent tenants and residents

Hugh McClung MBE shares his experiences as part of the Regional Networks, and reflects on how the Networks represent tenants and residents:

"I am delighted to be able to tell you about the Networks and the role that they play listening to and representing the interests of tenants and residents across Scotland.

We work directly with Scottish Government Ministers and Staff dealing with Housing Policy, giving advice and the views of tenants and residents towards the development of those policies and strategies which affect Housing. Over the years there have been various working groups working on different projects, some of those still active are listed above.

We have also fed in views in areas of key importance to tenants and residents including evictions, fire safety and on several Scottish Government and Scottish Housing Regulator consultations. A number of major policy developments occurred because of the input of tenants' and residents' views, these include:

• Housing Act (Scotland) 2010 and Housing Act (Scotland) 2014.
• Guidance for Local Authorities on Housing Revenue Accounts (2014).
• Scottish Housing Regulator (2012), Annual Returns on the Scottish Social Housing Charter.

These policies and groups are just a flavour of the influence that tenants and residents now have, working together with Scottish Ministers and Staff. As well as the groups and work my colleagues have written about in this Newsletter, we have also recently re-established our Housing Revenue Account (HRA) working group in order to represent the interests of tenants on the subject of the use of HRA accounts in local authorities to ensure these funds are used in the interests of tenants.

Before 2008, who would have thought that tenant and resident representatives would be sitting down with the policy makers to represent the voices of thousands of tenants and residents like themselves? Something that had never been done before, and I'm proud to be a part of it all.

We also have been talking and listening to tenants and residents and their groups throughout the pandemic, and soon we hope to be coming to introduce the Networks to you in your own areas. I look forward to doing that and hope that you will take part in the opportunity to share your opinions with the Networks so that your voice can influence the Housing Policies and Strategies of the future."