There are a number of aspects to the Audit Commission's role in the Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programme:
- we undertake periodic strategic reviews and scrutiny assessments of pathfinders plans, proposals and funding submissions
- we visit each of the pathfinders on an ongoing basis to undertake regular performance monitoring of their progress and achievements
- for the first five years of the programme we undertook critical friend activity providing confidential challenge and critique of their work. From April 2008, we are able to respond to individual formal requests for Advice and Assistance under the powers contained in The Local Government and Public Involvement Act 2007
- we seek to capture and disseminate learning and good practice, via web-based tools, regular bulletins, periodic reports and one off events
- we produce major periodic reports which reflect on links with national policies, and consider wider issues impacting on the programme, including links with the Respect agenda.
The pathfinder areas
The pathfinder areas areas were identified through research carried out by Birmingham University and subsequent analysis by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) of the sub-regions where the problems of low demand and abandonment were most acute.
About 900,000 homes are included in the pathfinder areas which includes about half of the one million properties in low demand based on 2002 estimates. Between 2003 and 2011, some £2.2 billion HMR funding will have been invested in the programme which has also attracted a range of other public and private sector resources.
Further information about pathfinder areas (external link) is available from the CLG.
Also from the 
Homes and Communities Agency (external link) HMR webpages
The Housing Markets Team
We have a dedicated Housing Markets Team. It has six members, as outlined below.
The team undertake a range of ongoing work with pathfinders', as a critical friend and scrutineer of plans, programmes and progress. They come from a variety of backgrounds, with different areas of expertise:
Yvonne Taylor, National Lead Housing Markets - 07748 933 317
Tim Campbell, Regional Housing Markets Lead: London - 07748 703799
Robert Hack, Regional Housing Markets Lead: North - 07815 876031
Andy Crowe, Regional Housing Markets Lead: South - 07771 942772
Andy Thompson, Regional Housing Markets Lead: Central - 07976 351684
Joe McTigue, Market Analyst - 07776 483084