Housing
Minister, Grant Shapps seems to be making progress with his campaign to push
for Housing Associations to make spending data public knowledge – with at least two housing
associations, Hertfordshire Housing and Viridian Housing agreeing to open up
spending data from next month.
Hertfordshire
Housing and Viridian Housing are responsible for around 5,300 and 16,000
properties respectively, with the associations expected to publish the details
of all spending which is above £500, and of any salaries which are over
£50,000.
The
call for greater visibility of spending data follows pressure to expose how
public monies are being spent – organisations which receive money from the tax
payer should now expect to come under greater scrutiny and be willing to
explain financial decisions openly and honestly.
The
ability to be able to share this data however will require housing associations
to have in place a system which will ensure that all monies spent are being
accounted for and accessible – with information being able to be readily
accessed.
Although
not public bodies, the housing sector in particular takes in money from
taxpayers – the majority of which is invested in social housing, with this in
mind surely it is only reasonable to share how this investment is being spent? Other
public sector areas should beware, with the growing trend of openness and
honesty with public spending it is only a matter of time before they too will
have to review the systems which they have in place.
