New tenant Chair elected to lead Phoenix

Updated: 4 October 2021 at 12:33pm

A social housing tenant and former housing professional has been elected as our tenant Board Chair.
 
Former Vice Chair Carmen Simpson was elected at a meeting of the Board on Thursday 30 September. With over 20 years’ experience in housing, she becomes the third tenant Chair since our creation in 2007 and succeeds former Chair Anne McGurk who stepped down this month after five years in the role.  
 
Anne, who is passionate about championing resident involvement and leadership, will remain a Board member. Simon Barlow, who is also a tenant, has been elected as our new Vice Chair.  
 
The election of Carmen Simpson as our new Chair comes as we prepare to take on the management of 1,500 additional homes from L&Q in Grove Park, neighbouring iour current 6,300 homes in south Lewisham. 
 
Carmen Simpson, Chair of Phoenix Community Housing, said: “I am honoured to be stepping up as Chair and look forward to working with my fellow Board members to continue to build on the great foundation laid by our past two amazing chairs. 
 
“As Chair, I hope to embed our new Grove Park residents into the Phoenix way, offering opportunities to enable them to have an equal voice by being represented at all levels of engagement. I am excited by the future of Phoenix and its potential to lead the housing sector with its resident-led model.” 
 
Our innovative model ensures that tenants and leaseholders are the largest group on the Board, with five tenants, one leaseholder, four independents and two councillors sitting on it. Uniquely, the rules state that the Chair must be a tenant empowering residents to take a central part in decision-making about the homes they live in and the services they use.  
 
We're also proud to be shortlisted for the Landlord of the Year in the UK Housing Awards 2021.