1. Tenants’ Engagement in the HRA
June 2015

2. What is the Housing Revenue Account (HRA)?
It’s not the General Rate Fund (GRF).
HRA Income
HRA Expenditure
Management, maintenance and improvement
Debt repayments
Rent
Sales income
Bank interest

3. Guidance on the Operation of LA HRAs in Scotland
Published by Scottish Gov’t (Feb ’14):
how HRA should operate;
who it should benefit;
tenants or future tenants
what outcomes it should achieve;
supporting Charter principles;
supporting tenant scrutiny

4. HRA Guidance Principles
Improved working between housing and finance
Evidencing HRA outcomes
Meeting strategic housing outcomes
Meeting Charter outcomes
Best Value
Tenant consultation
Evidence-based methodologies for allocating HRA/non-HRA costs

5. Charter outcomes supported
13 – Social landlords manage all aspects of their business so that tenants, owners and other customers receive services that provide continually improving value for rent and other charges they pay.

6. Charter outcomes supported
14 – A balance is struck between the levels of service provided, the costs of the services and how far current and prospective tenants and service users can afford them.

7. Charter outcomes supported
15 – Tenants get clear information on how rents and other money is spent including information on items of expenditure above thresholds agreed between landlords and tenants.

8. Charter outcomes supported
2 – Tenants and other customers find it easy to communicate with their landlord and get the information they need about their landlord, how and why it makes decisions and the services it providers

9. Charter outcomes supported
3 – Tenants and other customers find it easy to participate in and influence their landlord’s decisions at a level they feel comfortable with

10. Repairs & maintenance expenditure per house

11. Supervision & management expenditure per house

12. Balance: income - expenditure

13. Problems Who should pay for it #1? (HRA or GRF?)
new council homes
a playground in a new council estate
the new road leading to the new estate
Quality versus Cost? Rolls Royce or
Skoda?
who decides?

14. More problems Is the HRA delivering ‘value for money’?
What is it, and how do you know?
Who should pay for it #2?
(HRA or GRF?)
lift maintenance in a block including owners?
grass cutting on an estate including owners?

15. Yet more problems Who should pay for it #3? – council overheads
(HRA or GRF?)
central IT/HR/legal support?
housing office space?
councillors?
Concern that HRA is being used to subsidise GRF.

16. Finally
VERY TECHNICAL How can/should tenants be involved in HRA decision-making? What information do tenants really need?

17. Tenants Engagement in the HRA
Tim Pogson