The Tenant Participation Strategy for NI (2015-2020) called for the creation of an Independent Tenant Organisation (ITO). Supporting Communities won the tender for this contract and established Empowering Communities to help deliver on these responsibilities.

We were tasked with four objectives:

1. Develop guidance to support housing associations to comply with the Tenant Participation Strategy

What does the Tenant Participation Strategy mean for your organisation? We published guidance notes and provide a consultancy service to keep you right! 

2.  Run a Housing Policy Panel to act as a social housing consultant to the Dept for Communities

We regularly convene a group of tenants from housing providers all over Northern Ireland to represent the tenant voice to the Department for Communities.

3. Establish and support a Tenant Advocate role to speak up for tenants' interests

We support and train an advocate to act as a consultant to the Department for Communities, representing the interests of social housing tenants in Northern Ireland. This person also serves as the Chair of the Housing Policy Panel.

4. Support housing associations to develop & deliver tenant participation strategies 

Engaging with tenants and supporting them to be a part of the business decision-making process of social housing organisations is not only the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do. Our Tenant Engagement and Community Engagement Officer works closely with housing providers to ensure tenants are included.