New Social Housing Watchdog

Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper announced the creation of a new standalone social housing regulator, to be called The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords, in Parliament yesterday.

The new regulator will replace the regulatory functions of the Housing Corporation, while the Housing Corporation's investment functions will pass to the Homes and Communities Agency.The new office will ensure that landlords provide a good service to their tenants, complementing the role of the Homes and Communities Agency in delivering 30,000 new affordable homes a year.

Yvette Cooper said:"If housing associations are doing a good job they should have less red tape. But if tenants aren't getting a good deal, we need much stronger action.

"Social housing tenants shouldn't have to put up with bad service from landlords. Long waits for repairs or worries about poor security can make people's lives a misery.

"We want tenants to have a real say on how their homes and estates are managed. The new regulator will assess landlords' poor performance and take action to make sure it improves."

The New Office will be implemented in the forthcoming Housing and Regeneration Bill.