LONDON, April 2 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* Twentyinnovativeschemes across Englandto receive a share of £2 milliontostrengthensocial housing tenants'voicesand get problems sorted faster * Year-long trials will test newdigitalandface to face supportthatstrengthen neighbourhood leadershipandinfluence,tacklestigmaandgivevoices tounderrepresentedtenants * Innovative projectsincludenewAIassistancefor social housing, a 'living roomon wheels' for chats with housing officersandnationalonlinehub for shared ownership

Social housing residents are being put firmly centre stage in a major new government drive to get landlords to listen and involve tenants in important decisions.

Bythe end ofApril, 20 newdigital and on thegroundprojects willhavelaunchedacross the country,providingreal-world fixestoissues tenantsare most concerned about- ignored repairs, poor updates, slow responses and being bounced between services.

Each project will run for 12 months to road-test boldnew ideasthat give tenants clearerandfaster ways totalk toand influencetheir landlords.

Thousands of tenants will be involved in the trials,which will involvetestinginterventions intargetedareasto see which are most successfulso that the learnings from the projects can berolledoutnationwide.

Specialised help will boost their voices, including tenantswho facechallenges like disabilities,traumaor low digital access,so their needs areheard andmet.

Strong digital and creative face to face projects will also be tested in neighbourhoods, with programmes tostrengthenthe presence oftenants on boards-givingresidents of all ages and backgroundsthechance to lead and shape matters affecting them.

Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government Baroness Taylor said:

"We'vedoubled this fund to £2 million so we can ramp up practical, real-world interventions that strengthen tenants' voices and ensure they are respected and taken seriously.

"The best ideas will be rolled out nationwide and tenants will shape every step, so what we take forward genuinely worksto transforms tenants' experiences."

Thanks to the government's Social Housing Innovation Fund, announced last October, organisationswhocompetedfornewfundingwill noweachreceivea share of £2millionto get going on theirprojectsover the next 12 months.

They willwork directly with tenantsto ensure projectsmeetreal needsand reachcleargoals that prove their scalability.

The fundsupportsthegovernment'swiderobjectiveto turn aroundtenants'experiences insocial housingand empower them to speak up when things go wrong, with new legislationlike Awaab's Law already holding landlords to account on tenant safety.

This is alongside thegovernment's£39billionSocial and Affordable Housing Programme,now open for business,which is deliveringthe biggestboosttosocial and affordable housing in a generation.

Further information

The Social Housing Innovation Fund has awarded 20 projects across the country. This includes:

* Belonging Begins Here (BBH): Connecting our Communities. Accent Group. £120,000. * Trusted Voices: A Council of Elders Model for Refugee Tenant Engagement. Ashley Community & Housing Ltd. £76,442. * Ermine Community Partnership. Lincoln City Council. £104,049. * Connected Neighbours: New Models for tenant-landlord engagement. Clarion Housing Group. £119,110. * Our Homes. Leeds City Council. £119.371. * Hidden Voices to be Heard. Loconomy Ltd. £120,000. * Amplifying Survivor Voices - Domestic Violence & Violence Against Women and Girls Residents. London Borough of Hillingdon. £120,000. * Tenant Board Member Academy: Building Leadership from Within. Manningham House Association Limited. £70,000. * The Tenants' Voice. National Communities Resource Centre Limited. £113,631. * Building Safety Resident Engagement at Scale. Newham Council. £120,000. * YouNG Networkers. Nottingham Community Housing Association. £98,889. * A National Voice for Shared Owners. The Places Foundation (led by Shared Ownership Resources). £120,000. * Richmond Community Ambassadors - Making a difference locally. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. £102,316. * Virtual Voices: Enhancing Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Engagement Through Accessible Communication. Rooftop Housing Association. £75,500. * The G15 Residents' Group: A Model for Strategic Resident Involvement. Southern Housing (led by G15 Resident Group). £70,000. * The LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge: tenant-led change in social housing. Stonewall Housing Association. £95,250. * Improving resident scrutiny. Together Housing. £103,340. * Breaking the stigma: Stronger scrutiny in social housing. Vico Homes. £72,368. * Front room on wheels. Wigan Borough Council. £70,000. * Wythenshawe Enabled - Powered by Difference. Wythenshawe Community Housing Group. £95,900.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.