In today's turbulent financial climate there has never been a more pressing time to launch the first watchdog to champion the needs and aspirations of all affordable housing tenants in England, according to Tenant Services Authority (TSA) CEO Peter Marsh.

The creation of the TSA, is arguably the biggest change in social housing since right to buy. For the first time a regulator has been set up to represent all 10 million affordable housing tenants and the 5 million people who are already on or are forecast to join housing waiting lists in the next couple of years.

Today's testing economic conditions mean an inevitable rise in demand for social housing. People living in social housing today often have fewer choices over the services they receive than in other forms of housing, and the TSA believes that a revolution leading to a new consumer-centred approach to housing delivery is now well overdue.

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Initially taking over the regulatory powers of the Housing Corporation, TSA CEO Peter Marsh says: "Proper governance to ensure landlords remain financially secure has never been more important. As the new tenant champion, the TSA will embark on the most extensive consultation with tenants and landlords early next year to help shape its new standards framework. The TSA will 'turn on' the new powers it was given by the Housing and Regeneration Act from Autumn 2009 for housing association landlords, and is looking to extend these from Spring 2010 to all other social housing landlords including ALMOs and local authorities.

"At the TSA, we want to see a renewed focus on the bread and butter issues of housing management that have such a profound impact on the day to day quality of lives of 10 million households in England. We believe every tenant should deserve and demand a high quality of service. Quite simply, the TSA exists to raise the standard of service for all tenants of affordable housing in England."

(CD/JM)