John Healey has revealed that the government plans to withdraw backing for the open market homebuy scheme, saying he wants to concentrate on new build home ownership schemes instead. The homebuy scheme has so far helped more than 14,000 people onto the property ladder and plans to close it have angered housing associations who administer
The Tenant Services Authority, the new social housing regulator will consult with councils and arms-length management organisation (ALMO) tenants and landlords, bringing them under its remit, alongside housing associations and other for-profit providers, as recommended by the Cave report. The TSA goes live in December and will spend its first eight months in informal consultation
The Institute for Public Policy Research, which has been researching housing allocation for the Equalities Commission since last year, has concluded that Gordon Brown’s pledge to provide more social housing for local people is ‘flawed’ and could open up councils to legal challenge. Its unpublished interim report notes that there was no evidence that allocation
Services for council tenants could deteriorate as the recession continues, a Housing Quality Network study into housing management has warned. The report found that disrepair was the main reason for council housing being classed non-decent, with three-quarters of non-decent homes still in need of major repairs. Arms length management organisations (ALMOs) consistently offered a better
Housing minister Margaret Beckett announced new support to help councils cut their planned rent increases. Guideline rent increases for 2009/10 were set out in September when inflation was at 6.2 per cent, however, Ms Beckett confirmed that this will be halved for local authority tenants to encourage councils to reduce the amount tenants would have
Two housing associations have merged to create one of the UK’s largest housing groups with more than 30,000 homes across the South and South West. Sovereign housing group and Wessex housing partnership became the first group amalgamation since the Tenant Services Authority was formed.
A report from Citizens Advice detailing the financial, emotional and physical impact of poverty for children has said that Britain’s poorest families are ‘cold and hungry’ and often living in inadequate housing. One in three children live in poverty in the UK and this figure is rising again. Citizens Advice has called for the government
Most of England’s social housing could come under the control of housing associations within a few years because of the system for funding council housing, housing experts have warned. They are calling for reform to the housing revenue account (HCA) to allow local authorities to keep their rents and reinvest in existing or new stock
Click on this link for a short summary of the Green Paper launched yesterday. The full document and supporting papers can be downloaded here. A full transcript of Yvette Cooper’s speech and the responses from the opposition parties and individual MPs can be downloaded here. Jack Dromey of union Unite said: “Gordon Brown has listened
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has produced a new guide on housing disabled children. The guide lists ways of adapting a family’s existing home, outlines the role of frontline workers, and has a summary of the relevant law in England.