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The TSA: Has pendulum swung too far the other way?

01 July 2009

Many of us have heard recently either Anthony Mayor or Peter Marsh talk about the new role of the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and its approach to regulation.

Indeed, many will have heard comments to the effect that:

From presentations, it would appear that the pendulum may now have swung too far the other way. 

Many will have heard ‘the clue is in the title': the TSA is there to represent tenants, and I have heard it said that service to tenants is as important as financial viability. Given the current state of the UK's finances, that might be a moot point. 

Whilst most will have no objection to tenants having a voice and to advocates speaking on their behalf, the issue is whether that is the role of the regulator?

Surely the regulator should seek to balance the interests of both the housing provider and the tenant, ensuring equality between both. The regulator should not step into the shoes of the Board; it should not seek to govern housing providers.

As David Orr rightly pointed out: "It is critical that the regulator does not try to fill the space too readily where high quality corporate governance should happen and thrive. If it does so, it will undermine good governance and lead to a regulated, rather than governed, sector".

All housing providers are in the business of seeking to provide the best possible accommodation to their customers. Given the above, perhaps the regulator ought to look more closely at balancing the scales between the provider and the customer to avoid becoming ‘too cosy' with the customer.

Given the state of the economy and the precarious nature of the funding of public services over the next few years, I would have thought it is more important to work together and in harmony, than to adopt what might be deemed a confrontational approach.

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