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| The late 1980's
was a crucial turning point for both Sandwell's Local Authority
and the established TRA's. A government proposal for the transfer
of some of Sandwell housing to a Housing Action Trust (HAT),
galvanized both tenants and Sandwell Council to work in partnership
to oppose it. In successfully overcoming the threat from the
HAT, the TRA's in Sandwell had won their greatest triumph to
date, not only had they resisted a change over in landlord,
but they had unquestionably demonstrated that: |
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- Tenants can
influence government policy.
- Tenant organisations
should be taken seriously.
- Tenants should
have the right to a voice on issues that effect them.
- Tenants have
at their disposal local expertise and experience that council
officers do not have.
- Tenants have
the will and commitment to change things for the better.
- Their time is
given freely.
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| Tenant empowerment
had arrived in Sandwell, and the Local Authority had the foresight
to get behind it and support its development, providing a framework
for tenant participation, which included registration and recognition
of TRA's. Resource and facilities for TRA's, and a team of support
officers to build capacity and support emerging groups. |
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| Sandwell MBC is
still heralded today as one of the forerunning authorities in
the early development of tenant participation and related structures.
This being true, it must also be said that the tenants of Sandwell
were equally progressive and ahead of the game in their call
for autonomy, the right to have ultimate control over the direction
and objectives of tenant structures and organisations within
Sandwell, became the most ambitious assertion of tenants rights
to date. |
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