Improving Housing Management Practices: Strategies for Mitigating Anti-Social Behaviour and Promoting Tenant Involvement

Executive summary: Introduction: In introduction, the report will discuss anti-social behaviour in housing context that is faced by tenants and resident. This report is going to introduce the housing management services that are associated with managing as well as eliminating the antisocial behaviour. In addition to this, the report will also discuss key improvements that can be done in mitigating the impact of universal Credit. The report will also discuss the importance of resident involvement in social housing process, in terms of promoting wellbeing of residents and tenant. By using eth real world examples of real social landlords, the report will discuss that how social landlords can involve tenants in reducing the chances of antisocial behaviour in social housing context. Anti-social behaviour in housing context is described as the behaviour and attitude of person that cause annoyance, nuisance to other persons thereby causing adverse impact on housing management process of council. Discussion: This report will discuss the anti-social behaviour in residents and tenants that interferes with implementation of ethical principles of housing management policies. It will also discuss universal credit and its benefits as well as limitations. This report will also discuss the improvement that can be done in housing management service to deal with anti-social behaviour. Here report is going to highlight the improvement that can be made to mitigate the impact of rent arrears and universal credit. This discussion also states that, universal credit system in conducted by the UK government that although provides monthly payment to poor household it enhances their financial difficulties as many landlords seeks weekly rent to the tenants. Therefore, UK government needs to improve universal credit system which will assist the poor and homeless people to afford proper housing facilities. The study will also discuss the involvement of tenants into overall improvement of housing facilities in which tenants are provided with rights and facilities to express their preferences and interest regarding their accommodation. In addition to this, this report will highlight measures taken by UK government in managing the relationship between tenants and landlord by improving the overall involvement of tenants into the accommodation process. This report will also use real world example, in which tenants had received high quality accommodation facilities. In these examples, landlord assure that tenants will be protected from any kind of harassment and abuse by any person associated with these hosing society. Here in this report is also going to discuss that how staffs can be trained in systematic manner to eliminate the chances of any anti-social behaviour society in society faced by tenants and residents. The report will also highlight the importance of tenants as well as resident’s involvement in improving their behaviour and attitude toward any other people. Additionally, the report will highlight that how housing council can assure that tenants will be understating and tolerate towards their neighbours to eliminate the chances of any antisocial behaviour for residents or tenants. Additionally, the report will also discuss the measures that are taken by UK government in terms of assisting these people who have limited salary that make them dealing with the livelihood challenges, by providing them several financial facilities such as Universal Credit and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Finally, the report will make the suitable conclusion which will have key points that would be discussed in entire study. For students seeking UK dissertation help, this topic explores critical aspects of housing management and tenant involvement in addressing antisocial behaviour.

Recommendation:

This report makes the following recommendation in terms of abolishing anti-social behaviour for residents and tenants:

Tenants need to be provided with proper training and education to improve their behaviour as well as attitude towards the neighbours. Additionally, tenants are recommended to make positive transformation in understanding and tolerance towards the neighbours.

Housing policymakers need to focus on systematic implementation of housing management policies into practices in terms of assuring that, all resident as well as tenants are protected from any kind of violation, harassment and annoyance.

Social landlords are recommended to encourage tenants to involve in decision-making against anti-social behaviour that will make the tenants responsible for promoting healthy attitudes and behaviour towards other residents in the housing society.

Introduction:

In introduction, the report will discuss anti-social behaviour in housing context that is faced by tenants and resident. This report is going to introduce the housing management services that are associated with managing as well as eliminating the antisocial behaviour. In addition to this, the report will also discuss key improvements that can be done in mitigating the impact of universal Credit. The report will also discuss the importance of resident involvement in social housing process, in terms of promoting wellbeing of residents and tenant. By using eth real world examples of real social landlords, the report will discuss that how social landlords can involve tenants in reducing the chances of antisocial behaviour in social housing context

Identifying the key improvement in the housing management service to deal with anti-social behaviour:

By improving social housing, it is possible to improve the behaviour and performance of landlords in local housing services. Following are the key improvements that need to be done in the social housing services in terms of assuring proper maintenance and management of social housing which will eliminate the anti-social behaviour in the society.

Conducting training and development program for the landlords:

Conducting training program for landlords is one of the most effective initiatives that the Adelaide Housing is going to take in terms of improving the overall social housing service and eliminate chances of anti-social behaviour in the society. As mentioned by Mcneill (2016), training to landlords will develop the positive and supportive behaviour in them that will help tenants to get all the basic facilities in the homes that are rented to them. Staff training is one of the most effective processes that will improve overall behaviour and attitude of staffs towards residents and tenants (Martin et al. 2019). By providing behavioural training to housing staffs it is possible to change their understanding about how to behave as well as interact with tenants and residents. Additionally, staffs training will make positive transformation of their behaviour as well as attitude that will no only eliminate the chances of antisocial behaviour towards residents in housing society but also assure residents and tenants that they are well-treated and respected. Housing council needs to take initiative in terms of reducing the chances of anti-social activities in the society regarding social housing such as violent behaviour of landlord towards their tenants, poor accommodation facilities provided to tenants in return of high rent and interfere with privacy, dignity and self-respect of tenants. As stated by Yung et al. (2017) the training program will also teach the landlord how to behave with their tenants respectfully and deal with rental services with using polite and humble behaviour. The training program that will be arranged for social landlords will make it obligatory for the landlord to respect the rights and decision of their tenants in terms of improving overall housing facilities.

Reformation and implementation of the housing regulation:

While it comes to improve the social housing management service and eliminate anti-social behaviour, UK government needs to focuses on reformation of housing legislation in terms of implementing housing management policies in better manner which will assist the residents to get proper housing facilities and protect their own rights while accessing the housing service. In this context, the UK government needs to reform the Housing Act 1996, The Homelessness Code of Guidance 2018 and Allocation of Housing (England) Regulations 2002, which will make it obligatory for the landlords to maintain ethical and legal procedures while dealing with tenants. In terms of eliminating anti-social behaviour in housing context, the UK government has taken necessary steps to educate housing staffs to assure that all residents and tenants in housing societies will be protected from anti-social behaviour (Martin et al. 2019). In addition to this the statutory housing bodies of the UK focuses on implementing all housing management policies in such a manner that will assist the housing official to get proper information regarding of there is any violation of principles and regulation of the acts.

Conducting tenant empowerment programme to protect rights of tenants:

While it comes to improve the social housing management process and eliminating the anti-social behaviour, Adelaide Housing focuses on assisting UK government to conduct Tenants Empowerment programme. The UK government has already spent £2 million in every year during 2011 to 2015 time-period, to run tenant’s empowerment programmes (Fitzpatrick and Watts, 2017). This program will assist tenants to understand their rights and legal facilities while affording a rental house.

Real examples:

Example 1:

While giving example of social landlords who have taken initiatives against et anti-social behaviour for residents and tenant, the case study of Lindisfarne Street Hostel can be examined. Here the housing staff are highly trained in how to behave and intact with the resident if the housing society. In addition to this the social landlords of this housing society have actively included the residents to promote healthy and friendly behaviour towards the other residents and neighbours in terms of assuring the hosing is free from any anti-social behavioural practices. Lindisfarne Street Hostel is involved in catering men with mental illness and alcohol as well as drug addiction. Here landlords have broader social, financial and cultural agenda for tenants, which are not only associated with providing social and cultural support to make positive development of overall lifestyles and wellbeing of tenants but also provide the financial assistance by lowering the rent or offering discount to them (www.nao.org.uk, 2017). Here the landlords are associated with providing positive as well as highly cultural environment to tenants which ensure that tenants will be free from any kind of social, physical and emotional abuse. As mentioned by Vols and Fick (2017), in most of the cases of mentally ill and drug addicted tenants are generally abused and harassed by landlord or these tenants face high level of anti-social behaviour from the landlords that not only impact adversely on their mental wellbeing but also on their physical and emotional wellbeing. Unlike these cases, landlords of Lindisfarne Street Hostel have developed an example of positive attitude and behaviour that are gained by tenants of this hostel from there landlords. Here landlords are associated with conducting several program and activities that are proved to be important for tenants in deploying their inner strength and mental and physical wellbeing.

Example 2:

Another example in which landlords plays important roles in eliminating the antisocial behaviours towards tenants is the case study of Templar Housing. In the year 2000, is had been reported that; landlords of this housing society allowed their tenants to be involved into improvement of entire design and decoration of rooms of the housing association. In addition to this, the landlords in this housing society ensure that people residing in this housing society would have roper protection from any kind of abuse such as mental and physical harassment. Here the tenants are reported to have proper social and financial assistance from the landlord in which landlords reduce the overall rent for poor and older people residing in this housing society as tenants. By allowing tenants in deciding the decoration and design of rooms and others places of the housing society such as balcony and drawing rooms, this housing association was able to maintain strong relation between tenants and landlords, that not only assist tenants to get proper assistance and support from their landlord but also assist landlords to get valuable advice and opinion from tenants in terms of improving the overall accommodation service (www.nao.org.uk, 2017).

Identifying the key improvement in mitigating the impact of Universal Credit:

Universal credit is a flagship reform of the UK government that is paid to the unemployed and lower income level people to help them with their living cost. As stated by Millar and Bennett (2017), the Universal Credit is UK government’s social security payment system, which is designed to simplify benefits system for poor households and incentivise the paid work. Universal credit although is developed to provide the financial assistance to the poor households in term of affording proper housing facilities, it has several drawbacks that interfere with the systematic management process of social housing. In recent housing management framework in eth UK, there are developed many initiatives in terms of eliminating adverse impact of Universal Credit and reducing the number of rent arrears in the society. These initiatives are Housing benefits, child Tax Credit, income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Working Taxation Credit

The UK government needs to provide these above-mentioned financial supports to lower income and unemployed household in terms of improving their financial condition, as the Universal Credit is not sufficient for them to get affordable house and meet the basic housing needs.

Another improvement initiative that is implemented to mitigate the adverse impact of the Universal credit is, reforming the regulation and principles based on which Universal Credit works. In this context, the UK government needs to either enhance the limit of monthly payment to the poor households or can replace the monthly payment by weekly and fortnight payment that will be more helpful for the poor people who needs to pay their rent on weekly basis (Millar and Bennett, 2017).

Housing council also needs to focus on reducing number of the rent arrears in the society by replacing the universal credit from monthly basis to weekly or fortnight basis. The monthly payment process may pose adverse impact on overall financial condition of the poor people (Millar and Bennett, 2017). On the other hands, in the universal credit system, the number of rent arrears who pay rent on monthly basis, increases in this society which not only increases the financial issues of landlords but also enhances the chances of their anti-social approaches towards their tenants. Therefore, it is important for the UK government to improve the overall system of the universal credit in such a manner that will provide financial help to both the landlords and eh tenants.

Impact of Corona virus on housings activities:

Coronavirus (COVID 19) is associated with severe disruption not only in physical, financial and social aspects by also it is associated with severe disruption of accommodation as well as housing facilities provided to tenants. In the UK majority of housing association have faced the following issues due to pandemic Coronavirus:

Due to lockdown, majority of poor people working in unorganised sectors are unable to have full salary which pose adverse impact on their overall financial situation.

In the UK majority of people residing in rental housing societies work at minimum salary in organised and unorganised sector. Due to epidemic of corona. Majority of unorganised and organised sector has closed the operation of their workplace which has adverse impact on financial condition of tenants making them unable to pay their rent on each month. On the other hand, tenants which are attacked by corona are brutally forced by landlords to leave their housing societies. Therefore, the tenants face huge difficulties in getting safe as well as secure accommodator in the UK. In addition to this tenant are reported to face anti-social behaviour and violence from their landlords, if there are any chances of these tenant attacked by corona.

The UK government has developed different important measurement in terms of providing to financial support to citizen to deal with social, financial and healthcare issues.

Arnstein ladder participation:

Based on this resident perception tool, while encouraging participation of residents or tenants. Social landlords need to focus on eight factors such as:

Manipulation:

Aim of this process is educate participants regarding their involvement into the decision-making process (Arnstein, 2019). Here the residents and tenants will be educated and trained about how to maintain positive behaviour and attitude towards each other to eliminate chances of any antisocial behaviour.

Therapy:

Therapy is the training process that can be given to the residents in improving their knowledge regarding improving their understanding and tolerance towards other tenants and residents (Arnstein, 2019).

Informing:

Here the participants such as residents would be informed regarding the purpose of their participation, so that the resident can be actively involved in promoting anti-social behaviour in the society (Arnstein, 2019).

Consultation:

This consist of activities like neighbour meeting, public enquiries and conference in which the issues regarding implementation of housing management policies and anti-social behaviour are discussed (Arnstein, 2019).

Placation:

This process involves residents and tenants t give their valuable advice and share the decision with social landlords o improve the overall social housing service and protect them from anti-social behaviour

Partnership:

In this process the decision making and planning is shared among residents

Delegation:

In this steps resident as well as citizen are provided with powers to take decision regarding the housing facilities and policies.

Citizen control:

This step involves handover of power to resident to be actively involved into decision making for better implementation of social housing policies.

Universal credit:

Universal credit applies in such a situation in which ESA and JSA are not sufficient for an individual to deal with the financial burden as well as to meet eth basic financial, healthcare and nutritional needs (Millar and Bennett, 2017). The UK government t has set for citizen that , if they are unable to deal with their expenses despite having JSA and ESA, then they can apply for the universal credit, in which UC will enhance the limit of these two payment facilities for citizens for helping them to pay the rent as well as other living expenses.

Explaining involvement of residents in decision making:

Adelaide Housing focuses on resident involvement in the social housing which will beneficial in maintaining transparent housing services and reducing the antisocial behaviour and unfair practices in the society regrading getting the affordable housing facility. Housing Regulation and Overview Scrutiny Committee (HRSOC), is the housing representative body that deals with antisocial behaviour related issues faced by residents, tenants and any society members. This committee focuses on involving resident as well as tenants to grab the designation of executive decision-maker, who will monitor the decision taken by the other residents and tenants in the committee. Through making such a committee, it is possible to involve residents in developing policies and strategies in terms of protecting their rights and getting proper facilities while dealing with the housing services (Taylor, 2017). For example, in Wandsworth, the city of south London, there is systematic process of resident involvement in social housing, in which there are Area Housing Panels, Housing Committee and Joining Forum Panel, that insist residents as well as tenants to join these groups and share the decisions about the issues and preferences regarding the social housing (Vols and Fick, 2017).

Borough Resident Forum is another important representative body for residents which will assists them to share their preference and opinions in term of improving the overall work process of social housing system in the country. Area Housing Panel (AHP) provides the opportunities to tenants and residents to inform their preference issues and opinion regarding social housing services to the Chairman of AHP. This panel will look into the protection of rights of the tenants and elimination of anti-social behaviour by landlords. In addition to this the panel will also consider as well as approve the financial initiatives grants.

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Reference list:

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