Homes & Communities Agency

The Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) is the regulator for social housing.  The HCA took over this role from the Tenant Services Authority on 1st April 2012.

There are now 7 standards that social housing providers must meet.  These are designed to help improve the services provided for people who live in social housing.  The HCA have set out what customers should expect under each of the standards.

The HCA has introduced a Value for Money standard which places an increased focus on social housing providers to drive value for money improvements.  In the revised Tenant Involvement and Empowerment standard there is more focus on local ways to resolve complaints and disputes and scope for more resident involvement in repairs and maintenance.  The revised Tenancy standard reflects changes in government policy, allowing different lengths of tenancy and promotion of mutual exchanges.

Below are the seven new standards and the areas they relate to:

Governance & Financial Viability Standard
This standard includes required outcomes with regard to:
• Governance and
• Financial Viability

Value for Money standard
This standard includes required outcomes with regard to:
• Value for Money      

Rent standard
This standard includes required outcomes with regard to:
• Rent 

Tenant Involvement and Empowerment standard
This standard includes required outcomes with regard to:
• Customer service, choice & complaints
• Involvement & Empowerment
• Understanding & responding to diverse needs of tenants 

Home Standard
This standard includes required outcomes with regard to:
• Quality of accommodation
• Repairs & Maintenance 

Tenancy standard
This standard includes required outcomes with regard to:
• Allocations and mutual exchange
• Tenure 

Neighbourhood and Community standard
This standard includes required outcomes with regard to:
• Neighbourhood management
• Local area co-operation
• Anti-social behaviour

For more information on how we meet these standards please refer to the Publications section of this website and read our Performance and Residents Reports by clicking here.