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Cut would hit tenants
• THE letter to the Federation of Islington Tenants’ Associations (FITA) from Homes for Islington (HfI) stating that HfI will withdraw funding from FITA unless the service level agreement (SLA), dictated by HfI, was signed by August 17 is deeply short-sighted. HfI should be more considerate to FITA and consequently the tenants FITA represents.
To arrive at a working SLA, which serves residents well, tenants need to be involved in determining and devising how the SLA works. In order to do this, surely FITA needs to consult widely?
Additionally, householders need time to feedback to HfI their views and amendments and put together a blueprint that will serve people as “customers” well.
It’s often cited in books on successful management that the greater the time it takes to reach a decision the greater the value of the decision and, with so many residents to cater to, in this context this maxim seems logical and reasonable.
Unfortunately, August 17 was in the middle of the holiday season, when parents and workers are largely on vacation. To set this date rather than later in September or even October leaves HfI open to accusations of disenfranchising the very residents whose commitment, support and enthusiasm HfI needs to build a constructive relationship with as we move forward into the future.
Were FITA to have its funding cut, this would leave a terrible void for tenants becoming organised groups. Effective tenants’ and residents’ associations (TRAs) make a huge difference to the upkeep and maintenance of social housing and instil a sense of pride and self respect.
Due to the effectiveness of its TRA, Ilex House has gone from a hard-to-let building to a place where people bid to live. The TRA would not have got off the ground without the work of FITA.
JUSTINE GORDON-SMITH
Address supplied
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