There is an interesting news item on BBC on the big society (click here to view). The Prime Minister visited Liverpool last week to promote the so called big society. Is the big society a conservative re-branding of what has been happening in the housing sector for decades? Volunteerism and community partnerships have been at the heart of what we have been doing successfully for years in this sector and especially Tenant Management Organisations. The National Conversation showed that tenants do want to be part of their landlords and their communities and the new Tenant Services Regulatory Framework has this spirit at the heart of the new co-regulatory framework. So will this re-branding of co-regulation as the big society make a difference to the housing sector over and above what has already been achieved? Do people in the sector welcome this and see it as a new opportunity?

The title of the BBC news item is 'Big Society: Big Cuts'. The implication being that the big society is the about replacing the co-regulatory spirit of volunteersm with volunteers replacing paid workers as a result of community funding cuts. The big society will not build houses but will it help build communities?

The BBC article says :

"He wants communities to rethink how they solve their own problems. Many will suggest the solutions involve cash as well as goodwill. At its heart is the belief that "top-down, top-heavy" government saps initiative and innovation from communities, public sector workers and individuals. The alternative is to liberate councils and community groups to do more for themselves.  So the government is offering help to overcome bureaucratic obstacles, but is not handing out huge amounts of money. It will help train community organisers, for instance, but they will not receive state-funded salaries. "

The Board Development Agency last year developed an internship service for the housing sector to help landlords recruit and induct graduates and tenants to work together for the benefit of communities and the mutual benefit for participants . Since last year the response to this opportunity has been poor. Does this experience reflect a lack of interest in the sector or a lack of awareness of the help there is out there and/or the benefits? Our concept was not about using volunteers to replace existing staff but to add value to your communities and individuals to facilitate co regulation and community cohesion. Is this the government's intention or is it about cuts? What is your view? Is the latter too cynical? Does it matter? Do we just have to get on with it and recognise that if we want to keep and/or improve what we have we have to be prepared to do it for less of as a volunteer? Where does the sector go from here?

Take part in this discussion on TenantBook.co.uk