Waterloo Residents Association (WRA) has been formed to represent ALL residents (rent payers and owners) of Waterloo Housing Association (WHA) property. It has its own aims and constitution that calls for an elected committee to include a chairperson, secretary and treasurer. WRA has been funded primarily by WHA enabling the committee to provide telephone conferences, training sessions, a residents association newsletter, attend conferences and visits to other housing associations for all or any resident wishing to take part.
WRA Committee meets at least 8 times a year and also arranges two General Meetings a year. One in May and the other in December that is also combined with a residents Christmas party, to which all residents are cordially invited (see calendar for dates). At these meetings your committee outlines the work they have been doing during the year and listens to feedback from all attending.

We have a well established NETWORK of several hundred residents who we contact on a regular basis by telephone, email and post to obtain their opinions on a range of issues which the WRA committee in turn deal with via their working relationship with WRA staff or Board and other agencies as required. The NETWORK has been extremely useful in helping with various surveys undertaken by the WRA committee and in providing feedback through service delivery reports. Why not join with us and express your view on important subjects that may affect us all? Use the contact button on the left for more details or to put your name forward as a NETWORK member for your street, or area.
WRA and its NETWORK of residents have played a significant part in formulating the new Tenants Handbook, procedures for reporting and dealing with anti-social behaviour, best value reviews on a range services, they were the lead in compiling a Residents Charter which sets out how resident can participate with WHA in the management and maintenance of their homes. WRA committee have been active in resolving disputes where residents believed they had been unfairly treated.

The NAME of the Association shall be WATERLOO RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

2 The OBJECTS of the Association shall be:-

    a. To represent tenants and residents on issues of every kind arising between them and Waterloo Housing Association Limited and any other body.

    b. To ensure the best possible value for rent/service charges paid by Waterloo Residents and from the services provide by Waterloo.        

c. To represent residents in securing improved facilities of general community benefit.

    d. To promote and support wider Resident participation.

    e. To promote the common interests of tenants and residents in all ways, including seeking changes in local and/or national housing policies.

    f. To provide, maintain and manage facilities in the interests of the social welfare of all residents.

    g. To advise Waterloo Housing Association Limited at a strategic level on matters affecting residents, particularly under arrangements made for consultation under the Residents Charter, Best Value and any similar enactment.

3. The Association may act in co-operation and/or affiliation with other local and/or national organisations to achieve these objectives.

4. The Association shall work towards these objectives fairly and without discrimination against any person because of their gender, sexuality, age, race, ethnic origin, disability, religious or political belief, or any other irrelevant criteria.

5. The AREA covered by the Association shall be:- All Waterloo Properties

6. MEMBERSHIP shall be open to all Residents of Waterloo Housing Association Limited properties.  

7. a. The Committee of the Association shall have the right to TERMINATE the MEMBERSHIP of any members for good and sufficient reason.

b. Such members shall have the right to be heard by the Committee before any decision is taken and shall have the right of appeal to the next General Meeting of the Association, whose decision shall be final.

8. a. The management and day to day running of the Association and control of its assets shall be vested in a COMMITTEE drawn from Members made up of Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice/chairperson and such other Honorary Officers as the committee may from time to time decide.

b. The Committee shall have in total not less than three (3) members.

c. The Committee may co-opt members to fill vacancies which arise on the Committee during the year. Such co-options shall be subject to ratification by the next General Meeting.

d. The Committee may additionally co-opt one (1) non-voting member from persons who in the opinion of the Committee have special skills or knowledge to contribute to the Association.

e. All proceedings of the Committee and all correspondence and transactions shall be recorded in the minutes, files and accounts etc., by the appropriate Honorary Officers.

f. The Committee shall meet not less than 6 times a year

g. A Committee member who is absent from 2 consecutive Committee Meetings without apology shall be deemed to have resigned.

9. a. The association shall hold an ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING each calendar year in the month of December.

b. The business of the AGM shall be:
i] To receive an Annual Report from the Committee;

ii] To receive a Financial Report and audited Statement of Accounts.

iii] To elect a new Committee Bi annually

iv] To amend the Constitution if necessary;

c. Notice of the AGM shall be fully publicised by the Committee not less than 14 days before the meeting occurs.

10. a. The Committee may call other GENERAL MEETINGS of the membership from time to time.

b. The Committee shall within 21 days call a General Meeting if it receives a written request  for such a meeting signed by not less than 50 residents. Notice of the General Meeting shall be well publicised by the Committee not less than 14 days before the meeting occurs.

c. All General Meetings shall be minuted.

11. a. VOTING at all meetings of the Association shall be by a show of hands by residents attending, except where a member requests a secret ballot and this is agreed by a majority of members.

b. A simple majority of votes shall carry a decision, except as provided in Clause 18 of this Constitution.

c. Except for elections to the Committee the Chairperson of the meeting shall in the event of tied vote have an extra casting vote.

12. The Committee may from time to time adopt RULES & STANDING ORDERS for the proper conduct of meetings and business of the Association.

13 a. The QUORUM for the Committee meetings of the Association shall be 3 voting Committee Members.

b. The QUORUM for General Meetings of the Association shall be 50 residents.

c. If the General Meeting is inquorate, the Committee shall adjourn the meeting and reconvene it within 14 days. The Committee shall publicise the re-convened meeting widely.

14. FINANCE
a. The Treasurer shall keep good and proper accounts of the financial affairs of the Association and shall make regular reports to the Committee.    
      
b. A Bank Account shall be opened in the name of: Waterloo Residents Association and all money shall be  held in this name.

c. All such accounts shall require the signature of 2 out of 3 signatories for any withdrawal one always being the Treasurer.

d. The signatories shall be the Treasurer, and 2 other Honorary Officers.

e. The Treasurer shall prepare a financial statement to be presented to all general meetings and shall arrange for the accounts to be independentl audited before the AGM.

15. NEUTRALITY
The Association shall at all times remain independent of Party Political activities, but shall not be precluded from accepting the support of Political organisations for the attainment of any of the Objects of the Association.

1 6. DISSOLUTION
a. A General Meeting may decide to dissolve the Association after the Committee has given 14 days notice of a proposed dissolution.

b. If a resolution to dissolve the Association is carried, the balance of any grant aid paid to the Association by Waterloo money and property held by the Association shall,after payment of all debts and liabilities, be donated by a decision of the General Meeting to a community group or a charity which has similar Objects.

17. a. Any ALTERATION to this Constitution shall be made at a General Meeting.

b. All proposed alterations shall be given to the Committee in writing not less than 7 days before the General Meeting.

c. Any alteration shall require the approval of two-thirds of full Members at the meeting.

18. ARBITRATION
Any dispute about the interpretation of this Constitution may be referred to an independent arbitrator