Our Tenant's Forum Shines at NFA Conference

Cornwall Housing’s Tenant Forum Shines at NFA Conference

In April, we attended the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) Conference in Birmingham with four members of the Tenants’ Forum. This was made possible with contributions from property and construction consultancy, Ridge.

Ridge made a donation from their Social Value Fund to support training for our involved tenants. The fund aims to deliver social value to local communities by making significant contributions to jobs, apprenticeships, services, support, investment, and the environment.

The Chair of the Tenants’ Forum, John Harris, attended the conference along with fellow Forum members Barbara Harris, Paul Teal and Shane Gilbert. John delivered a compelling presentation at the conference, titled “Housing knowledge: A journey, not a destination.” 

Reflecting on the conference, John shared: "The conference gave us the opportunity to promote the new regulations to other tenants, board members, and senior executives. It also enabled Forum members to meet people, exchange ideas, and build or strengthen relationships within the ALMO family."

Barbara Harris also praised the event: "It was an interesting conference with a very good opportunity to hear other tenants’ points of view. Our Forum chair had been invited to speak, which gave Cornwall and tenants everywhere a bigger voice. John’s talk was well received, and he has had some positive feedback from it."

Paul Teale expressed his appreciation for the depth of knowledge he gained at the conference. He said: "I learned more about the Tenant Satisfaction Measure figures and how they are put together, which buries the poor performers amongst the strongest performers. It was enlightening to see how some housing providers waste more of their tenants' HRA funds compared to others."

Shane Gilbert added: "This year’s conference allowed me to attend as a Forum member and interim chair of Cornwall Housing’s Scrutiny Panel. The conference was very informative. It provided a great opportunity for networking with other housing providers and learning how they tackle various issues in social housing. I will use the insights gained to improve Cornwall Housing’s services and ensure accountability."

The Tenant Forum’s participation at the NFA Conference demonstrates their commitment to continuous learning, collaboration, and improving housing services.