Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to encourage housing associations work with local councils on an agreed anti-social behaviour protocol.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets. Social landlords have a range of powers and tools to tackle anti-social behaviour and we expect them to use those powers promptly and proportionately, working with local agencies to put the needs of victims at the heart of their response.

The Neighbourhood and Community Standard, which can be found on gov.uk here, requires registered providers of social housing to work in partnership with appropriate local authority departments, the police and other relevant organisations to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and hate incidents in the neighbourhoods where they provide social housing. They must also have policies in place setting out how they will do this.

Providers are also required to collect and publish data on the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, including tenants’ satisfaction with their landlord’s approach to handling anti-social behaviour. This ensures that tenants and other interested parties can hold registered providers to account for the services they provide.

In addition, the Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review brings together partner agencies such as the police, councils and social landlords to investigate tenants’ complaints about ASB and to make sure they have been dealt with properly.