Tackling soaring salaries and severance packages among senior executives will be a priority for the Housing Corporation鈥檚 new chief executive.
In his first interview since taking on the position full-time last Tuesday, Jon Rouse said he would address housing association chief executives鈥� pay and severance deals in the next nine months.

Rouse himself took the corporation job for 拢25,000 less than he was offered: he will earn 拢125,000 a year.

He said he chose a lower salary to stave off possible charges of hypocrisy when the corporation moved to tackle executives鈥� excessive pay.

鈥淚 felt it wasn鈥檛 credible to take a strong lead on that issue if I wasn鈥檛 willing to take the same approach myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e should remember that the money we鈥檙e paid effectively comes from tenants鈥� rents 鈥� some of the most vulnerable people in society.鈥�

Rouse鈥檚 comments follow a series of large payments to chief executives. These included a 拢230,000 salary including pension and a relocation payment for the managing director of Sanctuary Housing Association in 2002/3 and a 鈥済olden goodbye鈥� of 拢233,000 for the chief executive of Downland Housing Group.

An Incubon survey for Housing Today in March found that the average salary for the chief executives of the top 20 biggest registered social landlords was 拢129,000.

Source

Housing Today