Somer Housing proposing to sell off our homes to the private sector
tenants.againstthecuts | 22.06.2011 14:34 | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles
The Tenant Services Authority has identified failings in the way Somer Housing Group is run.
The group, which manages 11,000 homes in the south west comes under fire in the regulator’s latest judgement on its governance.
The TSA downgraded Somer’s governance performance due to disagreements at board level which reached an impasse after the board for one of its subsidiaries, Somer Community Housing Trust, opposed decisions made by the group board.
The judgement says there are ‘indications that relationships at group board level have started to break down’. It also criticises the group for failing to comply with some aspects of its code of governance.
It highlights ‘significant weaknesses and deterioration in service delivery’ found in an Audit Commission short notice inspection of Somer Community Housing Trust in March 2010.
The group has now volunteered to address the problems identified in the report. It has appointed three independent members to the group board, who will form the majority membership of a governance review panel to oversee improvements in governance arrangements. The panel will also commission an external governance review.
The TSA says It will continue to monitor the way the association is addressing its weaknesses.A spokesperson for Somer Housing Group said: ‘We accept the TSA’s judgement as a fair reflection of our current position.
‘We are determinedly pursuing the voluntary undertaking we have give the TSA, appointing new board members to Somer Housing Group’s board with considerable skills in governance and in social housing."
The only problem for 11000 tenant households across B&NES and Bristol is that newly appointed board members are composed entirely of white, male, middle class home owners whose stated aim is to merge the not for profit registered charities Somer, Redland and Shape Housing Associations into a profit making new organisation without charitable status ie: a PLC limited by shares.
Tenants have been informed by senior Somer management (whose combined salaries cost tenants over £500,000 pa) that we will have no vote on the proposals.
TAKE NOTE UNELECTED SOMER HOUSING GROUP BOARD MEMBERS WE WILL NEVER ACCEPT THESE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR HOMES.
The group, which manages 11,000 homes in the south west comes under fire in the regulator’s latest judgement on its governance.
The TSA downgraded Somer’s governance performance due to disagreements at board level which reached an impasse after the board for one of its subsidiaries, Somer Community Housing Trust, opposed decisions made by the group board.
The judgement says there are ‘indications that relationships at group board level have started to break down’. It also criticises the group for failing to comply with some aspects of its code of governance.
It highlights ‘significant weaknesses and deterioration in service delivery’ found in an Audit Commission short notice inspection of Somer Community Housing Trust in March 2010.
The group has now volunteered to address the problems identified in the report. It has appointed three independent members to the group board, who will form the majority membership of a governance review panel to oversee improvements in governance arrangements. The panel will also commission an external governance review.
The TSA says It will continue to monitor the way the association is addressing its weaknesses.A spokesperson for Somer Housing Group said: ‘We accept the TSA’s judgement as a fair reflection of our current position.
‘We are determinedly pursuing the voluntary undertaking we have give the TSA, appointing new board members to Somer Housing Group’s board with considerable skills in governance and in social housing."
The only problem for 11000 tenant households across B&NES and Bristol is that newly appointed board members are composed entirely of white, male, middle class home owners whose stated aim is to merge the not for profit registered charities Somer, Redland and Shape Housing Associations into a profit making new organisation without charitable status ie: a PLC limited by shares.
Tenants have been informed by senior Somer management (whose combined salaries cost tenants over £500,000 pa) that we will have no vote on the proposals.
TAKE NOTE UNELECTED SOMER HOUSING GROUP BOARD MEMBERS WE WILL NEVER ACCEPT THESE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR HOMES.
tenants.againstthecuts
