HOW DOES THCH OPERATE?

THCH is a Registered Social Landlord (Housing Association), a Company limited by Guarantee and a Registered Charity. It is governed by the Board that meets on a quarterly basis on the first Thursdays of March, June, September and December. The September meeting each year is always followed by the Annual General Meeting.

Most of the main work however is done by the four THCH Committees which also meet quarterly, and our five main consultative bodies.

The four THCH Committees are:

Rsident Representation

Tower Hamlets Community Housing believes residents should have a full say in how their homes and communities are managed and communities supported. It has been proven that effective resident participation leads to better, more responsive and efficient management. Effective participation provides residents with an opportunity to voice their concerns and express their views in order to shape the organisations vision and services. Residents are, and must be acknowledged as, an integral part of the management process. THCH will facilitate and enable residents to express their concerns and aspirations if it is to empower residents individually and estates and communities collectively.

The five THCH consultative bodies are:

All THCH meetings are advertised in our monthly magazine "Update" and they are open to all residents.

THCH has well established Area Residents Boards in each of its three community area alongside the Leaseholders Steering Group which covers leaseholder across the whole organisation. THCH believes that organised residents can have a greater influence than those acting individually. We will help to establish new ARB´s and continue to support existing ARB´s as the principle consultative body for THCH in each of the community areas.

THCH also supports a Joint Area Residents Board (JARB). The JARB enables residents to meet from all 3 areas to discuss matters that affect THCH as a whole. The JARB will also be able to ask questions of the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team at a meeting to be held 17 days before the board meeting to allow the comments of the JARB to be taken into account.

WHAT ABOUT A RMO?

As an alternative to THCH managing your home, the Estate Steering Group could consider setting up a Resident Management organisation (RMO). What is RMO? No one RMO is the same.

Basically a RMO is an organisation run by the residents to manage an estate. However what is managed is very flexible and whereas some RMOs want to manage all aspects of an Estate, most however choose to manage just a few areas of housing management. A local example is Bancroft TMO who manage cleaning, repairs and tenancy management, whereas the Council retain management of major refurbishment, lettings, rents, service charges, and right to Buy. Normally RMOs have been set up in response to poor repairs and cleaning services by local councils.

THCH would work with you on any RMO proposal however, we would warn you that the level of resident commitment and time, is much higher then involvement as an active residents in THCH´s resident participation structures.