We continue to develop initiatives which support the sustainable communities agenda and which encourage closer and more successful working between housing associations and local authorities. We know that many associations and local authorities already work in close co-operation to regenerate neighbourhoods, drive up standards and to deliver jointly on issues of concern.
In 2006 the Local Government Association signed a national protocol with the Housing Corporation which agreed areas of common priority and action. We have subsequently developed a number of protocols with individual local authorities.
In 2007, the Corporation completed a survey in order to gather local authority views of the housing association sector. All 354 local authorities in England with a strategic housing role were invited to participate.
168 local authorities provided feedback on at least one housing association working in their area. Of these, 135 provided feedback on the five associations with the most stock in their locality and 33 provided information on additional associations active in their area. The overall response rate was 48%.
We asked for feedback on associations' work in the following topics:
- working relationships between the local authority and housing associations;
- housing management service;
- contribution to tackling homelessness;
- contribution to wider strategic agendas;
- development performance;
- decent homes;
- impact on the neighbourhoods it serves and promotes sustainable neighbourhoods and communities; and
- co-operation with overview and scrutiny committees.
The survey was designed to collect the views of local authorities in a more systematic way than we have ever done before. The survey will provides a comprehensive body of feedback from local authorities. This will add to the Corporation's understanding of associations' work across a number of important agendas.
The briefing note explains the background to the survey. An overview of the findings and outcomes of the survey will be made available in the Spring.