Trowers & Hamlins

A panel of experts, including the Chief Executive of the new Tenant Services Authority, have helped to guide delegates from Registered Social Landlords through the Housing and Regeneration Act, at a conference hosted by City law firm Trowers & Hamlins on Tuesday, 30 September.

Over 100 delegates attended the conference from some of the UK’s largest RSLs.

The Act will carve out an entirely new regulatory and funding landscape, including abolishing the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships. The Act creates two brand new statutory agencies - the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) which will regulate English social housing providers, and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will take on the funding functions of the Housing Corporation, and the funding and investment roles of English Partnerships.

Speaking at the conference Peter Marsh, Chief Executive of the TSA explained that tenants will be at the heart of TSA's activities. He set out the consultation timetable for TSA's new standards and policies and made clear that the TSA saw financial viability of registered providers as a key objective.

Mark Amis, Head of Social Housing at Lloyds TSB, also stressed the importance of strong governance in ensuring lenders continue to lend to the sector and that lenders saw regulation by the TSA as playing a key role in ensuring that lenders remain comfortable in providing finance for the sector.

Also speaking at the conference Trowers & Hamlins partners Tonia Secker, Emma Tarran, Sara Bailey and Catherine Hand explained the new funding regime and the opportunities for RSLs to benefit from the Act, as well as the regulatory changes registered providers of social housing will need to prepare for.

The conference was chaired by Ian Graham, Partner and head of Trowers & Hamlins’ Housing Projects department and was concluded with a panel discussion, enabling delegates to seek further clarification on the Act.

Comments Ian Graham: "The Housing and Regeneration Act has set the scene for a great deal of change across the social housing sector, and will introduce a raft of new measures that RSLs need to begin preparing for now."

"We were delighted to be able to offer so many RSLs the opportunity to hear directly from the TSA on the planned regulatory changes and to gain a valuable insight into how they will impact on the availability of funding from lenders from Mark Amis, as well as offering Trowers & Hamlins’ legal interpretation of the Act."