The NFA Tenants’ Advisory Panel was created last autumn as a direct channel for the views and ideas of our members’ customers into the NFA’s policy and lobbying work. Currently 18 ALMO tenants from around the country sit on the panel and the group meets three times a year.
Lorraine, a founding member of the group, has served as a tenant representative director on the Stockport Homes Board for more than two years. She grew in up in a Stockport council home and is now a housing professional, working in customer services with a local housing association.
“I feel I have a lot to learn, but I’m very pleased to have this opportunity to help the NFA tenants’ panel do good work in the sector,” said Lorraine.
“I strongly believe that being involved is one of the ways that we shift perceptions of social housing and its tenants. When we talk about the tenant voice, then we are talking about breaking down the ingrained stereotypes one step at a time. I’m a great believer in asking ‘what’s the next step?’ rather than ‘what will things look like in ten years’ time?’”
Lorraine has contributed to two recent NFA Viewpoint pieces – Building better tenant-landlord relationships, and What do tenants think of the new Tenant Satisfaction measures? – on the current public consultation being conducted by the Regulator of Social Housing on the proposed TSMs.