History in the making

Members of the AHBs graduate from the Tenants’ Academy

The men and women who are about to shape the history of Hull City Council’s housing service have met for the first time.
They are the council tenants who have been voted onto the city’s brand new Area Housing Boards (AHBs), which will strive to improve housing services and set priorities for action in their local areas.
There are seven AHBs: in the North Carr, Northern, East, Park, Riverside, West and Wyke areas of the city. Each has five members, including local ward councillors and ‘independent’ individuals, and holds meetings in public for local tenants and residents to attend.
Six AHBs have recently met for the first time when their chairs and vice-chairs were elected (see table right).
Meanwhile, 18 AHB members (pictured) have completed the council’s Tenants’ Academy, a 13-week night school course in which tenants can learn all about the inner workings of the city’s housing service, including housing law, equalities and customer care.
For future AHB meeting times and dates call 300300.

Tell us what you think

Your involvement could make housing services better. John Hocking, director of Hull Housing believes that the active involvement of customers is crucial to improving the services it delivers.
An open day at The Guildhall on July 23, between 10am-4pm, is your chance to come and tell us what you would like to see from your housing service.
Already active tenants and residents are involved in a wide range of ways and have delivered major improvements. Examples include changing repair priority times, launching a customer-friendly repairs handbook, and producing articles for the tenant news pages of Hull in print.
Opportunities for involvement include attending Tenants’ Forum meetings, joining a service improvement group and becoming a mystery shopper or a tenant inspector. Alternatively, some tenants join their local residents' association or get involved with Hull United Residents and Tenants Federation (HURAT).
A Tenant Compact was launched in February 2006. It shows how tenants and residents can get involved in improving the housing service.
“We are looking at this agreement and one way tenants and residents can influence this review is by coming to the special open day,” said Mr Hocking.
“Tenant involvement is an excellent opportunity for our customers to tell us what they think – do not miss your chance to share your views.”
For more information call 300300 and ask for the Tenant Participation Team.

Susan Roeloffs using the stairlift in her adapted council home

Helping home life

A group has been set up to make sure Hull City Council’s housing service is offering the best deal to its disabled customers.

Whether it’s fitting a handrail to help people get up and down stairs or adapting a kitchen to make it wheelchair friendly, the council can help alter a home to suit someone who is disabled.
That person might be a disabled parent who needs to get around the house more easily to look after young children, a disabled person who lives alone, or a disabled person who is looked after by a carer.
Disabled people from all walks of life, and anyone who supports or knows someone with a disability, are now being invited to join a new group set up to help improve the council’s housing service.
“It’s also a chance for people to share experiences, and learn from experts about how their homes can be adapted to help them,” says group member Susan Roeloffs.
“But it’s not just about talking shop – we will be able to make things happen.”
The group will work at making sure that all housing services, offices and information leaflets are accessible, and meet their customers’ needs. Its first meeting, held last month, was attended by a diverse range of people who saw a presentation by the Housing Service’s Adaptation Team.
“We would like to see lots of people coming to these meetings as we rely on real life experiences to improve the housing service for everyone,” says tenant participation officer Carl Stephenson.