What is a tenant and resident association?
Tenant and resident associations are made up of local people acting in a voluntary capacity to promote and represent the interests of everyone who lives in the area it covers.
Tenant and resident associations can:
- Provide a collective voice for tenants and may concentrate on only local housing issues or they could also get involved in wider housing policies that affect everyone in Bolton.
- Develop extra services through self help schemes e.g. pensioners lunch clubs, mum and toddler groups
- Offer advice to local people and represent individual tenants and residents when dealing with authorities. The group could be involved in a whole range of community issues e.g. police, environment, youth inclusion, health and so on.
Tenant and resident associations hold regular meetings, open to everyone who lives in the area, but will conduct their business through smaller committee meetings.
In order for tenant and resident associations to get involved in the housing service and to qualify for funding, a group must be ‘recognised’ by Bolton at Home.
How to start a tenant and resident association:
If you would like to know where there is a a tenant and resident association in your area, click here (this link will be available soon) to access the list of groups. If there is not one already running in your area you can start one up yourself, here’s what to do:
You can contact Bolton at Home for expert advice by telephoning the Customer Involvement Team on Bolton (01204) 335779 or email your interest to CITeam@boltonathome.org.uk. We will be able to give you all the help you need to get up and running. We will help you to:
- Identify a few interested people in your area
- Identify your issues
- Identify your boundary (area you want to represent)
- Access funding and how to apply for grants to get you going
- Set up meetings with local housing / council staff to discuss your local issues and priorities
Bolton at Home will also give you full support and help you to get the knowledge and skills to confidently run a tenant and resident association.
Below are links to helpful documents for any tenant and resident association recognised by Bolton at Home:
Model constitution
How we support tenant and resident associations