Description: Haringey-wide network of residents associations based in streets, estates and neighbourhoods throughout the North London borough
The HFRA was set up by local Residents Associations (RAs) in 2001. RAs come in all shapes and sizes, many based on Council estates, many more some covering single streets or even whole wards. RAs can be active on a wide range of issues or just a single issue, some are very strong with large membership, others loose and only meet occasionally.
For around 15 years the Federation was a very active borough-wide grassroots network promoting community self-organisation and empowerment for every estate and in every neighbourhood throughout the borough. During most of the 2000s it met monthly, followed up by paper mailings to all RAs (minutes, local RA newsletters etc). It organised annual conferences on key issues (eg. Planning and Development; Traffic Calming and Safer Streets, Big Society etc), took up a range of strategic issues with the Council , h
By 2010 there were around 180 local RAs. In the last 5-10 years an increasing number of RAs have focused more on email list communications and online social media. During the 2020 covid pandemic many whatsapp mutual aid groups sprung up showing community spirit and solidarity is alive and kicking! Many of the well-established RAs have continued to thrive, but others have faded away or ceased to exist.