The Origins and Activities of Tenants' Associations in Britain

This paper presents the results of a survey of tenants' associations in six local authority areas in Britain. The aim is to dispel the prevalent notion that there is a common reason for the formation of tenants' associations and that they travel a similar evolutionary path. Rather the paper aims to show that tenants' groups are formed for a variety of reasons and can follow a number of paths. It draws particular attention to the actions and attitudes of housing managers and councillors which can have a vital influence on whether tenants' groups can achieve their goals.