changing attitudes
confidence
growing
gateway
introducing the
model
community
The starting point for the Community Gateway
Model is that the future of people’s homes must
be shaped by the people themselves.
Achieving local solutions to local issues requires
people to develop the ability and power to
identify the concerns they have about their
homes and neighbourhoods and act upon them.
By the time tenants vote on stock transfer, it
often seems like a “take it or leave it” choice. The
Community Gateway Model aims to change this
by getting people involved at a much earlier
stage, so that they can shape the choices, not
just vote on them. Tenants can choose how
much power they want and when they want it
with built-in capacity to increase their level of
involvement when they say so.
Community self-determination will not happen
overnight. It will take time, training, flexibility,
balance, motivation and safety nets. But, the
most important requirement for success will
be confidence.
Confidence and trust can only be built
slowly.
They can’t be developed overnight.
On many of England’s council housing
estates, people may feel that they are not
consulted or involved in decisions that
affect their neighbourhoods, especially
the big decisions about the future of the
housing service and other services they
receive. This can happen even where a
council has encouraged involvement – or
asked people to vote on the future of
their housing.
motivation
The more power tenants
and communities have to run
their own neighbourhoods,
the better they are run.
“
”
• Local people identifying local priorities
and acting upon them
• Neighbourhood operations that
individuals can relate to
• Greater accountability
• Tenants having the level of
involvement that they choose
• A vehicle for delivering wider
social change
• Services with better focus and
better value.
what’s in it for tenants?
That’s the firm view of Nic Bliss from the
Confederation of Co-operative Housing.
Drawing from 20 years experience in the field, Nic
believes that