Housing Corporation chief executive Jon Rouse has admitted that housing associations need to take a bigger role in crime and disorder reduction partnerships.
The partnerships, introduced by the 1988 Crime & Disorder Act, aim to provide a forum for organisations to devise crime reduction strategies and share best practice.
They usually consist of representatives from the police, councils, the fire service and healthcare trusts.
Speaking to the home affairs select committee hearing on antisocial behaviour on Tuesday, Rouse said associations should play a greater role in the groups.
He added: 鈥淲e are aware there has been some criticism of the sector for not being sufficiently engaged with the multi-agency approach to tackling antisocial behaviour.
鈥淲e accept not all associations are working in partnership with other agencies. We need to bring all partnerships up to the standards of the best in the country.鈥�
In an effort to tackle the problem, he said the Housing Corporation was funding two pilot consortia in Coventry and Derbyshire, where associations pooled resources to strengthen their relationship with the partnerships.
Eamon Lynch, tenancy services manager at Whitefriars, a member of the Coventry consortium, said the scheme had been a success.
Source
Housing Today