New panel to reduce anti-social behaviour in social housing

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and Eddie Hughes, parliamentary under secretary of state for rough sleeping and housing at the DLUHC have announced a new panel of experts to advise on how to deal with anti-social behaviour from tenants who suffer from mental health issues, or drug and alcohol dependency.

According to a press release, through a new advisory group launched on 19 July, social housing landlords will be given support to tackle anti-social behaviour. The announcement comes as the government marks Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness week.

A new expert panel will bring together organisations from across the sector to identify how landlords and local support services can work together and provide early intervention for vulnerable perpetrators of anti-social behaviour in an effort to reduce the 1.5 million recorded incidents of anti-social behaviour and reduce reoffending.

This is part of the government's Charter for Social Housing Residents which aims to improve living standards for social housing tenants.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Panel (ASBAP) will begin in Summer 2022, the press release does not give a more specific date, with an aim to publish good practice guidelines for social housing landlords and the wider sector on tackling anti-social behaviour by vulnerable perpetrators, in Autumn 2022.

The members of the panel include: the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; the Home Office; Anti-Social Behaviour Help; Aster Housing; Gentoo Housing; The Local Government Association; National Federation of local authority-owned organisations (ALMOs); Network Homes; Resolve; SHAL; and Sovereign Housing.

The scope of the ASBAP will include gathering evidence on the links between ASB offending and perpetrators who suffer from mental health, alcohol, and drug abuse issues; mapping and reviewing the current approaches to deal with this issue taken by relevant agencies working in this field; raising awareness of the links between anti-social behaviour offending triggered by mental health, alcohol, and drug abuse issues; considering the available evidence and suggesting interventions to mitigate the risks of further offending by this offending cohort; identifying and promoting best practices in this area; and identifying opportunities to improve multi-agency working.

Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing Eddie Hughes MP said: "No one should have to live in fear of anti-social behaviour and putting a stop to this is vital to our mission to level up the country.

"We committed to protecting tenants from anti-social behaviour, as set out in the Charter for Social Housing Residents.

"That’s why I’m pleased to welcome members of our new panel whose expertise will help inform landlords and other services how to deliver positive change for their tenants, alongside our new reforms to improve social housing standards."

Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Executive of Resolve said: "Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week gives us the opportunity to highlight the devastating impact of anti-social behaviour on victims and communities.

"It is important that the challenge of anti-social behaviour continues to be given the priority it needs so that people everywhere feel safe in their homes and communities.

"We are pleased to support the launch of the new Anti-Social Behaviour Panel and we look forward to working with partners to tackle the growing challenges around anti-social behaviour."

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