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6 Making it happen – the key issues

6.1. Suitable Funding systems
Funding regimes are needed which strengthen incentives to tackle problems in tower blocks without knocking them down; and which can support strategies which emphasise community development, better services, and physical improvements. Ultimately this is the responsibility of the government and regeneration agencies. There has been a steadily growing recognition of the value of community development in SRB guidelines. The funding of housing ‘solutions’ should be conditional upon the carrying out of rigorous options appraisals which examine the implications and costs as a whole, rather than just in terms of what they would be for one organisation or department.

6.2. An appropriate allocations policy
An appropriate allocations policy is one which lets to people who are suited to tower block living, and does not admit ‘problem tenants’. The aim is a population that is content to live there, housing elsewhere those with needs that cannot be met in a tower. This is not excessive ‘social engineering’; it is simple recognition of the spatial constraints imposed by tower blocks. Allocations decisions should consider: “what impact is this person likely to have upon a closely packed tower block community.” It is good practice to involve tenants in the development of the allocations policy for their block. This is an issue for local authorities and other housing organisations, but one also where national government guidance is important.

6. 3. A stable population.
This is perhaps the most difficult quality to ‘engineer’. It depends upon the success of other measures, and upon factors that are beyond the control of agencies and resident organisations. It may take several years for the rate of turnover to settle down to a sustainable level.

6.4. Effective security systems
The need to keep Tower Blocks secure so that problems outside the community can be kept out is paramount. It appears that the most effective systems are based on the concierge approach (see 4.2 above), and it seems likely that if these systems do not earn the confidence of residents then any other improvement initiatives are unlikely to be successful. This is the responsibility of the landlord organisations and should be a high priority.

6.5. Social space and surroundings
Any redevelopment of any block should include the provision of better social spaces as a priority. This can facilitate the development of community activity and thus strengthen residents organisations. Development of the immediate environment is also a way in which the quality of life can be improved, in terms of visual amenity and security, and in the longer term this can help with biodiversity, food growing etc.

6.6. Effective involvement and community democracy
There are a number of different ways in which the participation and involvement of residents (usually tenants) can be organised, and new models have been and are being developed including Tenant Management Organisations (TMOs), Tenant Compacts, and Community-Based Housing Organisations. These are discussed in Appendix 1. The underlying issue is Neighbourhood Management (13), that is increasingly being seen as one key to reversing social exclusion, and block-level schemes should thus link into larger-scale management schemes.

6.7 Adequate service provision
The form of tenant organisation – whether adopted by residents or fashioned by the landlord – and the relationship that it has with the landlord, will have a great bearing on the way that services are provided to the block. These services include day-to-day repairs, more fundamental maintenance and upkeep of the block, cleaning, grounds maintenance, security, waste removal, and heat, power and water. These issues are also discussed in Appendix 1.

6.8 Changing the image and sharing good practice
The image of Tower Blocks can certainly change. One example is the Blackbird Leys blocks on the Oxford estate pilloried a few years ago after joy-riding episodes: there are now more requests to live in the improved blocks that can be accepted. A concerted effort is needed to build on positive experiences on tower block estates and to promote high-rise blocks as assets which, used correctly, have considerable potential. A strategy should be developed for putting this message to the media, government, and other influential and relevant sectors. This should be backed up by the promotion and dissemination of good practice, as developed in ‘beacon blocks’., but with this work shared by tenant groups, local councils and other social landlords and relevant NGOs.