Last year, Emily tabled a Private Members Bill which would give tenants the power to trigger an inspection of their landlord if their estate or neighbourhood was being badly run. Tenants could get their housing association hauled-in for providing a poor service - such as long waits for repairs or failure to deal with poor security. If, following an inspection, a landlord failed to improve, residents would have the power to fire their landlord.
Following the publication of her Bill, Emily spoke to the Housing Minister Yvette Cooper MP, who launched a Government review led by Professor Martin Cave. Emily submitted her Bill to the review, and organised for a group of 30 Islington housing association tenants to meet Professor Cave and his team at the House of Commons in March.
The Cave Review reported last week - and it has backed Emily's Bill by proposing a radical overhaul of the way housing associations are regulated.
The review recommends that tenants should be allowed to trigger an inspection of their housing association. The landlord would then be ordered to improve services, and if they failed to do so, they would face having the management of an estate transferred away from them.
Emily said:
"Lots of housing associations do a good job - but on some estates, some of them really don't. My Bill would give tenants a bigger say over their landlord, and the power to fire them if necessary. I am glad the Government review is moving in this direction - and I am pleased that housing and tenants' rights are rapidly moving up the Government's agenda now"
ENDS
Editors Notes:
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Emily's Housing Association Bill is a Private Members Bill, tabled in the current session of Parliament. Though it is unlikely to become law immediately, the Bill was considered a part of the Cave Review.
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Emily brought a group of around 30 tenants to the House of Commons on 29 March to meet Professor Cave and his team to talk about their experiences.
