Boligsosialt arbeid i Holmestrand kommune

14Expertise in the field of social housingImproving performance in the social housing sector – a need for enhancedsocial housing competence and skills?Participation in the social housing development scheme will boostperformance during the scheme’s lifetime, and provide a goldenopportunity to enhance the council’s social housing capacities. It isimportant for the council to think in terms of capacity building inall its various schemes.IntegrationAnchor social housing policies in all council plansThe social housing action plan needs to be integrated into everyaspect of council planning. In practical terms, the action planshould constitute an integrated component of the council’s plans,either in the form of a sub-municipal plan or a thematic plan.Plans mean commitmentThe introduction to the social housing action plan requires anassessment to be made of the cost of the schemes and for progress to reflect thecouncil’s wider financial situation. The council would benefit from aplan containing a schedule for when the different schemes areexpected to start and end.The new trust: Articles of Association and the role of the BoardThe process of collecting the different trusts into a single trust iswell under way. In that connection, there should be a principleddiscussion of the trust’s eventual role, including the formulation ofarticles of association (not least the objects clause) and the role ofthe Board.Working togetherA strategic housing and land-use policy 2The council should formulate clear strategies on the type ofhousing the council wants to prioritize, and where they shouldpreferably be located. In this work, it would be sensible to give thePlan scheme an active role in dialogue with the more operative2 We got the idea for this point after reading Tromsø City Council’ discussion ofthe subject in its Social Housing Action Plan 2009–2014. Seehttp://www.tromso.kommune.no/boligsosial-handlingsplan-2009-2014.4545783-121711.html. Last visited 11 June 2012.NIBR-rapport 2012:14