Regulation
Tenant Services Authority (TSA)
In England, housing associations are regulated by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the new independent regulator for affordable housing, who work with housing associations and tenants to improve services to existing and prospective tenants. Funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the TSA invests public money in housing associations and protects that investment by ensuring they provide decent homes and services for residents.
The Audit Commission
The Audit Commission is the independent watchdog, who inspect Housing associations to ensure they deliver efficient value for money services to their residents.
The Audit Commission and the Tenant Services Authority work together in partnership on the inspection of housing associations. The results of inspection are used by the Tenant Services Authority in its overall assessment of housing association performance. Inspections also inform the public about the performance of the services inspected.
Inspections look at different aspects of the service received by residents, and include value for money, diversity, tenancy and estate management, income management and resident involvement to name a few. A Housing inspection aims to recognise good performance and promote excellence, as well as to identify weakness and improve the services poor performers provide. The Audit Commissions role is to help housing organisations to provide high-quality services, within their available resources, in response to the aspirations of their service users and their wider communities.
