Mike Richter and Becky Adams are currently the Tenants' Voice, representing 7,000 Stroud District Council tenants at Housing Committee meetings.

Following a recruitment drive in which involved tenants fully participated, representatives Mike and Becky were co-opted to the council's housing committee in October 2021.

As the Tenants’ Voice Becky and Mike can help to make a difference to our landlord services by debating current and new strategic plans with councillors. This in turn helps to determine councillors’ decisions on ways to improve repairs and other housing services.

As part of their role, Mike and Becky take part in tenant events and gather tenants' comments about Housing Services so that they can share tenants’ experiences and views during discussions about a variety of housing issues.

They also ‘pick up’ individual tenants’ comments and messages about housing services left on the Tenants’ Voice mobile phone 07970952214. Alternatively, tenants can write to Mike and Becky via email volu524@gmail.com

At present, the Tenants’ Voice representatives are also involved in two housing committee task & finish scrutiny groups. Becky has joined the group concentrating on the repairs service, while Mike has become part of the group focusing on retrofit and energy efficiency.

Please be aware that Mike and Becky’s role does not involve the take up of individual tenant’s complaints. Complaints can be raised through the council’s complaints procedures

Why not join your local resident association and work with your neighbours to improve your community? Currently, there are resident associations in:

• Sunnyhill, Cashes Green, Stroud
• Middle of the Hill Community Group, Nouncell’s Cross, Stroud.  Please visit their Facebook Page.
• Top of Town, Stroud (ToTCA)
• Woodfields, Cam

If you would like more information about setting up a local resident association, please speak to your Neighbourhood Management Officer for advice.

All Pulling Together - Stonehouse
1 Park Parade, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 2DB

T. 01453 822705

Facebook
Website

GL11 Project - Cam & Dursley
Fairmead, Cam GL11 5JS

T. 01453 548 530

Facebook
Website

Middle of the Hill Community Group (MHCG)

Nouncells Cross, Stroud GL5 1LU

T. 07707 126 628

Facebook

What does the housing committee do?

There are 12 councillors on the housing committee who monitor the work done by tenant services, ensure tenants’ money is being well spent, and that services are of a good standard.

They also decide on multi-million pound projects such as the building of new council homes, and the modernisation of the council’s sheltered accommodation.

Your tenant representatives, known as the Tenants' Voice, also attend the housing committee.  They bring your (tenants’) views about our services (to you) directly to the discussions.  You can see these discussions from the comfort of your home by clicking onto a webcast of each meeting.

Stroud District Council is one of the few councils in the country where tenants are involved in helping to shape the future of social housing at such a high level.

Deadline for comments: 6pm on the day of the Housing Committee meeting.

Why not come along to a fun, informal and family friendly day near you to meet our staff and have your say to help us improve our services and make the right decisions for you.  

Lockdown during 2020 and early 2021 made it difficult for tenants to go to the local tip, and keep their gardens tidy so at the suggestion of one of our Neighbourhood Ambassadors, David Martin-Goff, we hosted a mini Love Where You Live event at Brimley in Leonard Stanley.  As part of this initiative, we arranged for a skip to be sited in the street so local tenants could benefit from a bulky waste amnesty.  This was very well received by the community as can be seen from some of the comments David received.

David Martin-Goff pictured in front of the skip

We support tenants to take an in-depth independent look at the services we provide and hold us to account, as part of the tenant scrutiny co-regulation process.  Call 01453 754113 for more information.

Housing Officer Walkabouts

From Monday 21 August until 25 August, a series of SDC estate walkabouts 🚶‍♀️🚶 was carried out.  It was a great opportunity for tenants to meet and chat with their Housing Officers.  As a result, we have received good feedback from communities  and we hope to be able to act on some of the suggestions and concerns raised.

The next series of estate walkabouts will be announced shortly.

So that we can include as many tenants as possible in our consultations on the design and delivery of our services to you, we are planning a programme of digital consultation through social media.  As a 24/7 communication tool, social media gives those of you with busy lives or limited access to transport an opportunity to have your say at your convenience.  In the meantime, we use our SDC Housing Facebook page to keep you up-to-date with our news.  If you 'like us' you will be able to follow our news feed.

From time to time we will ask you how satisfied you are with our services.  Have your say from your own armchair and take a few minutes to give us your views. 

 Tenant survey reports (STAR Survey) can be found on our Tenant publications page.

Stroud tenant voice picked for national role

We are delighted to announce that Ian Allan, an SDC tenant has been accepted onto the Social Housing Quality Residents Panel which was officially launched in December 2022.

The panel, which comprises 250 social housing residents from across the country, advises on developing upcoming Housing legislation.  Their aim is to drive up the quality of social housing by sharing their experiences with ministers.  In this way, resident voices inform policy change and shape the government’s plans in the reform of social housing.  More about Ian and his role within the panel can be found in a recent press release https://www.stroud.gov.uk/news-archive/stroud-tenant-voice-picked-for-national-role.