He said: "As with many aspects of the corporation's work, we need to become institutionally blind and adopt the perspective of the asylum seekers and refugees who need shelter and support.
"I contribute to this debate as a newcomer with L-plates on, but with a genuine willingness to help. The bottom line is that asylum seekers and refugees are the Housing Corporation's customers – tomorrow's key workers.
"We and housing associations generally have not pulled our weight to date in serving their need. I need to find ways to serve them better and I am very open to ideas as to how to do this."
Rouse pledged to:
- ensure refugee housing is considered in all regional housing statements for 2005-6
- bring in targeted language and skills training
- improve data collection and use it to tailor support to local conditions
- give more money
- give immigrants themselves a voice in decision-making.
He also criticised some local authorities for failing to consider refugee housing in their strategic planning and promised to "act as an advocate at the highest level" for the issue.
He will speak to Jim Coulter, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, to try to link refugee integration to the In Business for Neighbourhoods agenda.
The Housing Corporation's annual development programme for 2004-6 is committed to funding 230 new homes for refugees out of a total 60,000, which Rouse admitted was a "drop in the ocean".
HACT chief executive Heather Petch, who organised the conference, said: "The speech has a real wow factor – we were all pretty stunned. With the backing of [Housing Corporation chairman] Peter Dixon, Rouse has clearly embraced this agenda and is willing to take on the leadership role that we felt the corporation should be taking on.
"He was outlining a framework and making a commitment and it's up to the rest of us to hold him to account."
Source
Housing Today
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