Housing Advisory Panels

What are Housing Advisory Panels?

Housing Advisory Panels (HAPs) bring together groups of tenants and councillors from the Burngreave, Firth Park, Shiregreen & Brightside and Southey Wards, and staff from the local LAC and Involvement Teams. They discuss housing issues in their community and find solutions.

HAPs are also responsible for awarding ‘Residual Levy Grants’ to voluntary and community groups, for projects aimed at supporting tenants who have no Tenants and Residents Association (TARA) in their area.

Initially we are testing how HAPs can work in north-east Sheffield, and if they are successful then more may be set up across the city.

How will the Panels work?

There will be a separate HAP in each of the 4 Wards in the north-east. Each Panel will meet monthly (online over Zoom) for an hour, just before the monthly Community Action Group meeting. The first 30 minutes will be for discussions with council officers, and then local Councillors will join for the second half.

At the meetings, Panel members will discuss housing-related issues in their Ward and make suggestions for improvements. The feedback from the Panels will then be taken forward by the LAC and / or Council officers.

Joining the Housing Advisory Panels

Any tenant living in the Ward can apply to join the HAP, as can any non-tenant who is a paying member of a local TARA within the Ward. We ask that anyone applying to join is able to commit to the HAP for a minimum of 6 months. This doesn’t mean that you would be expected to attend every meeting for 6 months, but that you would attend at least half of them and take an active interest in the Panel’s work.

If you are a tenant living in the Ward and are interested in being involved but don’t want to make a 6-month commitment, you can apply to be a HAP Friend. This is also the case for any non-tenants who are not paying TARA members.

HAP Friends are provided with information about the work of the HAPs, and can give feedback or make suggestions, but are not expected to attend the meetings.

If you would like to apply to join, either as a full member or as a HAP Friend, please download and print a short application form here. Alternatively, you can apply online by completing this form.

Both HAP members and HAP Friends are required to follow our house rules.

Residual Levy Grants

Levy money is paid by most tenants with their rent (except those that have opted not to pay it). It is charged at 10p per week, and is normally handed over to the local TARA to help fund their activities.

However, not all areas have a local TARA to pay the levy money to. In this case, the levy money paid by tenants in those areas goes into a ‘Residual Levy’ pot held by the Council. This money can only be spent on activities which benefit those tenants who have paid into the pot.

The Residual Levy Grants scheme will enable local voluntary and community groups to make bids for the residual levy money in their area, to fund projects aimed at benefiting the tenants paying the residual levy.

There will be three rounds of grants per year (approximately every 4 months). The HAPs will be responsible for assessing bids and deciding which projects will receive a grant. The meetings to assess the bids will be wider than the regular monthly HAP meetings, as all four HAPs will come together to have the discussion.

Each individual HAP will nominate two of their members (one tenant and one councillor) to represent them at this wider meeting. A council officer – normally the local Neighbourhood Manager or their representative – will also attend. In the case of low attendance, there must be at least one councillor, one tenant and one officer to sign-off any grant awards.

More information about the bidding process will be shared in the next few weeks.