Thursday, 09 February 2012

Inside Housing
07/05/2010

View all stories from this issue.

  • £6bn cuts will hit housing budget hard

    12/05/2010

    Housing providers will need to fight hard to get anything near their current funding settlement from the new government, industry experts warned today.

  • A step too far

    07/05/2010

    Is it better to retrofit to super-insulated German Passivhaus standards or use renewable add-on technologies?

  • Bailed-out ALMO appoints new head

    05/05/2010

    Waltham Forest’s arm’s-length management organisation has appointed Madeleine Forster as its new chief executive.

  • Barratt predicts return to profit

    12/05/2010

    House builder Barratt Developments has said it expects to return to profit in the second half of its financial year, which runs to 30 June.

  • Bill Woof was a blast of fresh air

    07/05/2010

    I was so sorry to hear of Bill Woof’s passing. As a colleague of his in the Housing Advisory Unit at the Department for the Environment, I appreciated his comradeship and down-to-earth approach.

  • Calculate the benefits

    07/05/2010

    Housing associations can now take advantage of new tax benefits by registering ‘for profit’ subsidiaries with the TSA. Philip Alfandary and Kate Silverman explain how.

  • Charity fears Tory rule would bring confusion

    07/05/2010

    The lack of Conservative support in Scotland could lead to confusion if the party forms a UK government, a housing charity has warned.

  • Clarke and May lead fight against crime

    12/05/2010

    Senior Conservatives Kenneth Clarke and Theresa May are to lead the new government’s fight against crime and anti-social behaviour.

  • CLG committee chair loses seat

    07/05/2010

    The MP who chairs the communities and local government select committee has lost her seat in yesterday’s election.

  • Coalition PM promises stronger communities

    12/05/2010

    David Cameron has begun his time as prime minister with a promise to build a more responsible society with stronger communities.

  • Connaught appoints non-executive chair

    11/05/2010

    Social housing contractor Connaught has appointed Sir Roy Gardner as non-executive chairman.

  • Cracking the code

    11/05/2010

    From 1 April many builders of new homes have been required to meet a new consumer code. Graham Walters, partner at law firm TLT, explains the implications.

  • DJD valuation team moves to King Sturge

    07/05/2010

    A team which provides valuation services for more than 100 social landlords will transfer to another company from this week.

  • Eco doctor

    07/05/2010

    Richard Baines gives the lowdown on feed-in tariffs and sets out how social landlords can unlock the benefits

  • Election panel - the verdict

    07/05/2010

    Back in March, we recruited a panel of readers to give their views on developments in the run up to the big day. Now it has been and gone, they give their initial thoughts on the outcome.

  • Election result leaves housing in limbo

    07/05/2010

    The hung parliament following the election has brought further uncertainty to the housing sector, commentators have warned.

  • Eric Pickles to head up CLG

    12/05/2010

    Eric Pickles is to lead the Communities and Local Government department, following the formation of the Conservative-led government.

  • Fears over delegation

    07/05/2010

    Housing associations in Northern Ireland have claimed plans to delegate housing functions to district councils could see the sector descend into confusion.

  • First word

    07/05/2010

    Reducing housing’s carbon emissions is a daunting task and perhaps nowhere more so than London where social landlords must take the lead, says Isabel Dedring

  • Former leader takes tough policies to DWP

    12/05/2010

    Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith will take the post of work and pensions secretary, heading up housing benefit reform.

  • Freedom comes at a high price

    07/05/2010

    In the UK, 171 councils are now examining the government’s prospectus to move to ‘self-financing’. This is designed to replace the housing revenue account subsidy system, which the government has recognised is not fit for purpose.

  • From red lights to green

    07/05/2010

    When Wolverhampton Homes decided to retrofit 13 empty homes in the city’s former red light district, it hoped to attract new social tenants to the area. Nick Duxbury finds out if the plan succeeded

  • Futures wins £2.25m contract

    19/05/2010

    Futures Housing Group has landed a £2.25 million contract to provide homes for adults with learning disabilities.

  • Green guru

    07/05/2010

    Jon Broome goes against the grain with simple, cost-effective suggestions of where to spend and where to save

  • Halifax finds house prices are flat

    10/05/2010

    House prices remained almost unchanged in April, according to the Halifax.

  • Home improvement

    07/05/2010

    After waxing lyrical about the benefi ts of retrofi tting homes for years, Paul Ciniglio, sustainability and innovation manager at Radian Group, has put his money where his mouth is and turned his house into an eco-home. Isabel Hardman finds out how the carbon savings are stacking up

  • Hope for the homeless

    07/05/2010

    Sharing good practice across Europe will bring the aim of ending rough sleeping by 2012 a step closer

  • House builder reports rising sales

    10/05/2010

    Affordable housing specialist Galliford Try has reported an increase in sales.

  • Housing chiefs fear coalition government

    10/05/2010

    Housing bosses have voiced concerns about the potential impact of a coalition government formed by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

  • Housing minister keeps seat after recount

    10/05/2010

    Junior housing minister Ian Austin has retained his Dudley North seat after a recount.

  • Housing minister loses cabinet status

    13/05/2010

    The housing minister appears to have lost the right to attend cabinet meetings.

  • Housing must unite or risk losing out

    07/05/2010

    Housing associations and councils in Scotland need to speak with one voice to raise the sector’s profile with politicians, the new chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland has claimed.

  • How to...

    07/05/2010

    Justin Broadbent examines the potential pitfalls of installing green energy and how best to avoid eco-cowboys

  • Huhne gets energy efficiency brief

    12/05/2010

    Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne is set to become secretary of state for energy and climate change in the new government.

  • Immigration officers stake-out soup runs

    07/05/2010

    UK Borders Agency staff are staking out soup runs as part of a tough new campaign to kick homeless European nationals out of the UK.

  • In the balance

    07/05/2010

    In recent weeks the leaders of the three main political parties have all been interviewed by Inside Housing. With the make-up of the next UK government still in doubt, here is what the various options could mean for the housing sector.

  • Investors seek private rented sector tax breaks

    11/05/2010

    An alliance of property sector bodies is calling for tax breaks to encourage institutional investment in private rented sector housing.

  • Involved residents can play vital role

    07/05/2010

    Chris Gittins’ letter asks the interesting question ‘Has anybody established the potential of resident involvement and its endurance following new guidance from the Tenant Services Authority?’ (Inside Housing, 16 April)

  • Labour benefits from housing campaigns

    10/05/2010

    The Labour Party has performed strongly in the local elections in areas where housing has been a prominent campaign issue.

  • Labour offers DUP funding sweetener

    07/05/2010

    The Labour party has offered to protect Westminster funding for Northern Ireland as part of deal with the Democratic Unionist Party.

  • Labour slams Tory tax plan

    07/05/2010

    Conservative planning policy to encourage councils to permit house building will remove money from larger councils, Labour has claimed.

  • Labour’s legacy

    07/05/2010

    In 1997 we were promised that things could only get better for social housing. So after 13 years in power - and nine housing ministers - did Labour deliver? Keith Cooper looks back on a time of both great achievement and missed opportunity

  • Landlord jailed after tenant trapped in fire

    10/05/2010

    A landlord has been jailed after a fire at one of his properties left a teenager on the brink of death.

  • Man dies in explosion at council flats

    12/05/2010

    A man died and 20 people were evacuated after an explosion at a block of flats belonging to Cardiff council.  

  • Mears racks up £500m of contract wins

    11/05/2010

    Mears has reported strong trading in the first quarter with its highest ever number of new social housing contracts.

  • Members grant reprieve to Longlife

    07/05/2010

    Members of a struggling housing co-operative have voted to keep it open and outsource all of their management responsibilities.

  • Movers & shakers

    07/05/2010

    Jane Briginshaw has been appointed head of sustainability and design at the Homes and Communities Agency. Ms Briginshaw will be speaking at Inside Housing’s Sustainable Social Housing Best Practice conference in London on Thursday 27 May.

  • MPs back affordable housing pledge

    11/05/2010

    Eighty five of the MPs who were elected last week have signed a pledge on affordable housing.

  • Mr & Mrs stressed out

    07/05/2010

    While most housing professionals believe in their work, the recession and impending public spending cuts have changed the mood of the sector. Inside Housing and The Resourcing Group’s exclusive job satisfaction survey discovers that many fear for their jobs, are facing pay freezes and have been left to struggle with increased workloads. Lydia Stockdale reports.

  • Out with the old

    07/05/2010

    Waking up to a coalition government today could be the best opportunity housing has to take charge of its own destiny, argues Tim Leunig

  • Pension fund to invest in housing

    07/05/2010

    Bank says fund could generate up to £2 billion for housing associations

  • Plumber appears in court over gas death

    13/05/2010

    A plumber has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of a young woman who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a shared ownership flat.

  • Q&A: retrofit

    07/05/2010

    Clive Barnett reveals problems social landlords face financing retrofit

  • Retailers turn to building

    07/05/2010

    England’s supermarkets have laid out plans to build more homes than the country’s most ambitious local authorities.

  • Retrofit - wild goose chase or golden opportunity?

    07/05/2010

    As the sleeping giant of climate change looms ever larger, social landlords are facing up to the task of reducing carbon emissions from their stock. But without government funding and an estimated £500 billion to find, Nick Duxbury asks where their magic money beans might come from and if they can achieve a fairy tale ending

  • Sanctuary secures HCA funding for homes

    12/05/2010

    Sanctuary has been awarded £480,000 for an affordable housing project in Somerset.

  • Senior TSA staff to quit regulator

    11/05/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has announced the departure of two high-profile members of its executive team.

  • SHA Mini profile - Willmott Dixon

    13/05/2010

  • SHA Mini profile 2011 - Sustainable Homes

    10/05/2010

  • Share and share alike

    07/05/2010

    When tackling worklessness private sector companies have more to offer than social landlords might think. And, as Lydia Stockdale discovers, they are more than willing to help out

  • Size matters

    07/05/2010

    A high percentage of small new homes is leading to worrying under-occupancy

  • Sound-off

    07/05/2010

    Can you really get something for nothing? Social landlords are increasingly being approached by companies offering to install electricity generating photovoltaic panels on their housing stock ‘for free’.

  • Straight to work

    07/05/2010

    No matter which party is declared the victor following yesterday’s general election, the new housing minister faces a mammoth task. Chloë Stothart finds out which issues are top of the to-do list

  • Supersized savings

    07/05/2010

    How do you reduce the heating bill for a typical three-bed home in Glasgow to just £100 a year? By designing the houses as if they were a McDonald’s Big Mac. Nick Duxbury explains all

  • Surveyors expect house price rise

    11/05/2010

    More surveyors reported a rise in house prices in April than in previous months, according to a survey.

  • TSA staff stage mass union walkout over suspension

    07/05/2010

    Large numbers of staff at the Tenant Services Authority have walked out of their trade union in protest at the suspension of one of its representatives.

  • We must meet older people's needs

    07/05/2010

    Nick Clegg should be advised to learn about the complexities of the debate around residential scheme managers versus floating support services before aligning himself with one particular view (Clegg: Let elderly vote on wardens, Inside Housing, 23 April).

  • Welsh look to revitalise law making bid

    07/05/2010

    Welsh housing leaders have urged whoever forms the next Westminster government to increase the powers of the Welsh Assembly.

  • Who opened the window?

    07/05/2010

    How do you know which eco-technologies will produce the best results when retrofitting social housing stock? Simple, place a family in an eco-refurbished house and monitor their every move. Anita Pati reports on a London pilot doing just that

  • Work-related injuries double in six years

    07/05/2010

    The number of housing officers seriously injured at work each year has more than doubled in the past six years.

  • Worth the risk?

    07/05/2010

    In tough economic times most housing professionals can forget about receiving a bonus - but perhaps they should be putting in a claim for danger money.