Sheffield Homes tenants without a Tenants and Residents Association (TARA) were asked to fill in a voting slip in October 2010 to say how their levy money would be spent.
The 10p levy is collected from Council tenants every week with their rent. This money is given to the local TARAs to spend to make improvements in the area or to benefit tenants. In areas without a TARA the levy is collected by Sheffield Homes but not spent. This has meant Sheffield Homes have built up about £150,000 in unspent levy. The vote in October 2010 aimed to find a way to get the money spent, it was not clear if each area would get to spend exactly what it paid in.
Sheffield Homes told us that 19% of tenants in the East (Burngreave, Firth Park, Stubbin, Darnall, Tinsley) responded to their vote, and its proposed that a worker will be employed to help residents set up residents groups and support them to apply for funding for their area.
Resident, and former Burnbank TARA member, Delia Chadwick was concerned about what the this would mean for local tenants,
“When Burnbank TARA closed three years ago there was £6000 in the bank, I think this money and all the levy that’s been collected since should be spent in Burngreave, for tenants in this area, not elsewhere in the city.”
Delia is now part of the Welcome Residents group which covers the same area as the old TARA, the group is planning a meeting on 16th March 2011, 11.30am Verdon Recreation Centre for residents to discuss how the levy is spent.
The Welcome Residents group meets on the last Thursday of every month 3.30pm-4.30pm at the Welcome Centre, Nottingham Street – All welcome.