Expect a tense few months for the housing sector as money, policy and people interact in new ways.

The scale of spending reductions will have the Homes and Communities Agency on starvation rations. So, expect it to redouble its efforts to attract long-term institutional funds into affordable housing. Look north to the Scottish Housing Trust bringing together prudential borrowing by councils, land banks from house builders or housing associations and a long-stop rental guarantee from the Scottish Government. Replace Alex Salmond’s IOU with the HCA chief executive’s and Sir Bob (Kerslake)’s your uncle.

New build numbers depend on finance but also on whether the government implements its wish to link planning decisions to local sentiment. Don’t forget the community infrastructure levy, which remains law if not repealed. Although CIL is officially voluntary for local authorities, complex interactions between CIL and section 106 agreements in regulations may, in practice, oblige councils to sign up. None of this speeds up new housing supply but expect real emphasis on affordable rural housing, given the location of most coalition constituencies.

Newly appointed housing minister Grant Shapps ought to favour cutting councils loose from the housing revenue account; the civil service may persuade him that the solution on the table is the real deal. He won’t have to do much to the HCA - the chancellor will do that for him - but there might be some early attention to regulation, triggered by last week’s departures from the Tenant Services Authority.

With the future of the TSA in doubt, maybe it is worth looking out for its replacement - Social Housing Regulator for England (SHiRE) perhaps?

Dr Norman Perry is chair of public services at HBJ Gateley Wareing and former chief executive of the Housing Corporation

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